Not Normal
by ImaginaryFlower
Summary: Having a stalker wasn't exactly normal. Dating your stalker wasn't normal. Falling in love with your stalker wasn't normal. Being happy? Yeah, that was normal enough. MikuoxMayu ON A SHORT HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Really wanted to write a story with Mayu and Mikuo. Not together, mind you, but that's how it worked out. Hope it isn't a complete pile of garbage. Oh, and I'm new and don't really understand the line-break-thingy, so I haven't used it yet...**

**/**

Mikuo had been in love exactly three times in his life.

Yes, he might have been young all three times. Hell, he was still young. But he honestly believed those feelings he felt had been love. Every time, every girl. It had been love. Maybe not the same kind you read about in fairy tales. He wasn't a prince. He never managed to sweep a single one of those girls off their feet, and he was pretty sure he'd never be able to sweep any girl off her feet ever. That was okay. He would be content with finding a girlfriend at this point.

Sixteen-year-old Mikuo Hatsune was as inexperienced with love as you can get. Despite his deep feelings for those three girls in his past, he had never managed to confess. He had never had a girlfriend. He had never been kissed and he had never been on a date. This wasn't to say he wasn't attractive. He was. But even he had to admit; he was a coward when it came to anything remotely romantic. He couldn't help it. Being around girls, well, it made him shy. Which really sucked. It sucked badly. Considering he wanted a girlfriend so much, he should've been able to swallow his silly fears and worries and just asked a girl out sometime. Well, he had tried. Poor Mikuo always froze up at the last moment. Maybe if a girl asked him out instead. That would be nice. Why did the guy always have to be the one to ask the girl, anyway? Personally, he would be impressed if the girl had the courage to do something he couldn't. Maybe that would happen someday. Just maybe…

/

A nice autumn day brought warm sun to the sky. Leaves of many hues danced on crackling branches, stirring as wind brushed past. The scent of apples and sounds of dry, crunching plants hung on the breeze, setting a smooth atmosphere against a blue, cloudless sky.

Mikuo sighed contentedly. He found himself outside, walking home from a day of school. Why he had been stuck inside on a day like today, he didn't know. This could be the last nice day before it snowed, for goodness sake. He didn't want to miss that!

Despite his complaints, it was really nice to just be outside, underneath the golden sun. Smiling gently, he shouldered his bag and glanced around, taking in the calm day. He lived in a rather quiet neighborhood, and very few people were home from work yet. No one was around. At least no one he could see. Being alone from time to time was nice. Soaking up that silence, he continued on his way, walking up the short paved way to his front door. He was surprised to find a small wheat colored envelope attached to the door, his name scrawled across it in neat, loopy calligraphy. Blinking slightly, he removed the almost weightless object from his door. It was so light, and for some reason the scent placed on the paper was so gentle and lovely, he couldn't ignore it. It stuck solidly in his brain despite the fact he could not for the life of him recognize that scent.

Carefully, he tucked it into his pocket, letting it rest in his school pants. He intended to visit the note as soon as he entered his room. Luckily, he was not interrupted by his sister with some silly questions about school or dinner, or his parents lecturing him about God-knows-what. Honestly, he gave up listening to their silly conversations years ago.

Quietly, just in case anyone was home to question him or bug him in any other way, Mikuo slipped into his own room and closed the door. He took the delicate letter from his pocket and opened the scented envelope. Colorful flowers blossoms as more of the scent spilled from the letter within. The folded paper with in was removed slowly, and Mikuo gently unfolded the paper. The handwriting inside was as elegant as the handwriting that formed his name.

His green eyes scanned the page, darting across letters and words that formed sentences that formed paragraphs that seemed to form… a love letter. But it was strange love letter. Confusing and different, with a hint of rather scary threats here and there. He read it through multiple times, his eyes losing focus.

_Dear Mikuo Hatsune,_

_You don't know me. I am a complete stranger to you. It might seem weird to get a love letter from a girl you don't know, but I promise you, I do love you. I understand if it's kind of creepy to you. It would be creepy to me, too. But please hear me out at least. I would be so happy if you could simply finish this rather long letter. Believe me; I think it would be in your best interest._

_My name is Mayu Yoshida. I am sixteen years old, born May 6th. I have a bunny named Usano Mimi and an adopted sister name Tei Sukone. I love them both to death. My parents work a lot, but they always make time for us. They love us both a lot, even though I'm the biological daughter and Tei was adopted. I would say we are happy._

_This might be an odd way to write a love letter, but since you don't know me, I wanted to share a bit about myself. I hope that, in time, or maybe even straight away, you learn to love me as I love you. Although, to be completely honest, I'm not sure how possible that is. I love you a lot. It's hard to put the exact words on paper, and I hate to sound like a deranged fangirl of some high-and-mighty pop idol, but I love you so very much. I literally cannot tell you how much I do. It's a scary fact. I think the only thing that would give me ultimate happiness would be you. More specifically, meeting you and having you fall in love with me as well. Please, consider it. At the least, I would love for you to meet me someday soon; as soon as possible._

_ Love Forever,_

_Mayu Yoshida_

Mikuo admitted he was somewhat terrified. It was a really creepy letter, especially for a teenaged boy with little love experience. Because, in all honesty, Mayu Yoshida sounded like a stalker. How did people deal with stalkers? Didn't they usually get murdered?

Mikuo really wanted to smash his own head against the hard wood of his desk. Not only did he have no idea what to do, he was pretty sure he couldn't really do anything, anyway. God, this was weird. Maybe if he just slept on it. Or ignored it completely. Yeah, that sounded alright.

And Mikuo did just that. Until the next morning, because no matter how much a person avoids a situation, it will always catch up with them at some point.

/

Mikuo awoke the next morning to his alarm clock. Why, oh why, had some idiot set his alarm on the weekend?! Wait. He had done it. God damn it.

Without hesitation (he was already awake; what was the point of staying in bed any longer?), he stood, realizing he had slept in his jeans. Wow. How late had he been up? He had no idea; each video game level kind of just blended into the next.

Groaning, he stretched, going to scoop up his cell phone. It took a few seconds to turn on. When it did, he saw a long stream of texts.

**To: Mikuo**

**From: Kaito**

**Dude, help! my bratty sister is sick and wont let me leave the house! not even for medicine! HELP ME!**

The other messages were all from Kaito, and basically all said the same thing. Chuckling, Mikuo replied.

**To: Kaito**

**From: Mikuo**

**calm down. ill go get the stupid medicine for you. what do you need?**

His friend quickly responded, and Mikuo slid on his shoes. His t-shirt was a bit wrinkled, but it would have to do. His hair was in a complete state of chaos, but that was typical. People told Mikuo it made him more attractive, kind of edgy. People had weird ideas about what was good-looking. Did they know how long it took to make his hair look neat? He really should never try again. Like, ever.

Mikuo found his wallet, which had about thirty or forty bucks, and slid it into his back pocket. That was all he needed. Quietly, since he was pretty sure his sister was still asleep, he walked down the hall (real men don't tiptoe) and to the front door. His key was in his wallet. Maybe.

Still trying his best to remain quiet, Mikuo steeped outside. It was sunny. Very sunny. Beautiful, in fact. Warm and fresh, a day mirroring yesterday. He was glad. At least his idiot friend hadn't ruined his day by forcing him into the snow or something awful like that. Silently, he closed the front door, locking it behind him. A smile appeared on his face, shining just as brilliantly as the sun. He was very unaware of how attractive this made him look. Actually, he was always unaware of these things. So the clueless teen continued on his way. Since the medicine he was going to get wasn't prescription, it would be easy to get. Just cough drops and children's Tylenol.

Mikuo arrived at the store rather quickly and hurried to pick up the items. He attempted to avoid distraction, but he gave in when he saw a rack of books and magazines. True, he wasn't much of a reader, but even he had a series or two he liked.

"Awesome, the next book is out," he murmured to himself, reaching for a certain hardcover book. He flipped it open, looking at the price, then groaned. He placed it back on the rack. A sigh escaped him, and he doubted he'd have the chance to buy the book any time soon. It was disappointing, but first world problems, right? Well, not really, if you thought about it…

Mikuo shook his stupid thoughts out of the forefront of his mind. Really, he needed to monitor his train of thought.

Mikuo turned from the rack, feeling a tug in his gut as the urge to yank the book from its place overwhelmed him. He rarely felt this strongly about a book, or anything, really. But he couldn't just go around spending so much money. Yes, newly released, hardcover books cost a lot, actually. And he was saving up for his silly older sister's birthday present. He really was too kind to that sister of his.

Despite his annoyance at the general situation, Mikuo smiled, receiving looks from fellow shoppers in the line as he stood to buy his items. He loved his sister. She was so sweet and innocent. Seeing a smile on her face, especially directed at her, made him feel like he had wings. She was just so… childish. He wondered who the real older sibling was sometimes.

Quickly, he bought his items, stepping from the cool air that seemed to erupt from every surface of the store. The temperature difference was clearly evident, something Mikuo would normally be irritated by. Air conditioning in autumn? Really? But his mind wasn't exactly in the present or focused on his silly pet peeves. Could you blame the guy?

He was thinking his situation over. A girl – no, a _stalker_ girl – had sent him a love letter. Despite the general creepiness of it, Mikuo was a bit flattered. She must really like him (or be completely obsessed, whichever) if she were stalking him. And it was a girl, after all. She wouldn't appear suddenly and stab him or something. He was sure he could overpower any girl who attacked him.

…That sounded weird.

So maybe he would meet her. He really doubted it would kill him, although that was always a possibility when meeting strangers. Strangers who happened to be in love with you…

In any case, Mikuo didn't have to make any sort of decision now. Heck, he could even think of a way to contact this "Mayu Yoshida" girl. If she was stalking him, he was sure she'd manage to find a way.

God, he hoped he didn't end up murdered. Or locked in a basement. Or a sex slave. Or anything. And he _really_ hoped Miss Mayu had the decency not to look at him while he was changing. If she were actually a stalker. Which hadn't been proven. Yet.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm almost done with the third chapter and I was wondering if there were any background pairings someone wants me to include. I'm okay with anything, as long as the two people involved aren't related.**

/

Mikuo was more than surprised to arrive home and find a package placed on his front step, about two hours later. The same elegant handwriting that belonged to Mayu Yoshida could be seen, scrawled along the side darkly. The package was about the size of a typical book, wrapped neatly in smooth brown paper. Normally, Mikuo would be suspicious of a package without stamps or any sort of postage mark, but he doubted a teenaged girl like Mayu could build a bomb or something equally destructive. So instead of ignoring the package, he chose to scoop it up delicately, examining it as he entered his house. As soon as he had shut the door behind him, a certain short girl tackled him in a death-hug.

"Mikuo!" his sister exclaimed happily, "Hi! Where have you been?"

Mikuo smiled down at his sister. Despite being a year older than him, Hatsune Miku was small and delicate; far smaller than him. Reaching about 5 foot 2, his older sister was possibly the most beautiful girl he had ever known. They were very similar in looks, sometimes being mistaken for twins, something neither sibling minded much. Throughout Mikuo's sixteen years, no one had been a closer friend than his silly sister. And he liked it that way.

"Kaito's sister is sick again. So he sent me to get some stuff for her," Mikuo replied, "Now please get off me so I can take off my shoes, Nee-chan."

"Alright!" Miku agreed, releasing her death-grip on him and twirling to face the other way, "Mom made breakfast before she left for her meeting! She was feeling lazy, so we get smoothies!"

He watched as his sister skipped to the kitchen, humming a tune that had been frequenting many radio stations as of late. Shaking his head, he bent to remove his shoes, gently placing the package next to him on the floor. Quickly, Mikuo placed his shoes in the front hall closet, closing the door quietly behind him. Only then did he follow Miku to the kitchen, carrying his labeled gift with him.

"Luckily, Mom only made this a couple minutes ago. Don't you hate it when smoothies sit for too long and get all icky? It's so gross," Miku rambled as Mikuo sat himself at the table. She was busying herself with the task of pouring fruit smoothie from their blender and into the glass cups she had set out. She glanced to Mikuo as she placed his drink in front of him. "Eh? Mikuo, what's that?"

Miku was referring to the package he had set on the table, right next to his elbow.

"Oh, that. Someone left a gift for me outside. I don't know what it is," he admitted, gulping down some of his ice-cold strawberry-banana smoothie. Miku cocked her head curiously.

"Do you know who left it? Accepting gifts from strangers isn't a very good idea, 'Kuo," she told him thoughtfully, as if this had just occurred to her.

"Yeah. Well, no. Kind of," Mikuo replied unwillingly. He had gulped down entirely too much of the cold liquid and now his head felt like it was freezing over. "I mean, I do know her, but I've never met her."

To Mikuo's surprise, Miku clapped loudly and sang out her next sentence as if it were a gift from the angels. "Mikuo has a secret admirer!"

Mikuo held his hands over his ears. "It isn't exactly secret if I know who she is, now is it?" he demanded, wishing his sister didn't feel the need to be so loud all the time.

Miku instantly stopped singing the song she had been in the middle of creating. Actually, she had ripped the tune off of her idol, Luka Megurine, and was steadily adding more and more phrases that had to do with Mikuo's pitiful love life. Mikuo fought the urge to grimace at her rhyming capability.

"I guess you're right," she admitted sadly, falling into her seat, "But having a secret admirer sounds so much _cuter_."

Mikuo couldn't resist a chuckle at her childishness. Really, her head was stuck in the clouds most of the time, filled with dreams of love letters and princes that would sweep her off her feet. His big sister was a child at heart. Mikuo doubted she would ever grow up completely.

"Do you want me to open it with you?" Miku asked, her attitude turning for the better in an instant.

"A-alright," Mikuo replied, pulling the package in front of him and setting his drink to the side, "I hope she won't mind."

Miku squealed happily. "Yay! I bet it's super romantic."

Mikuo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Carefully, he pulled the clear tape away from the fold on the edge of the package, pulling it open just enough so that he could get out the contents. To his surprise, it was a book. In fact, it was the exact book he had been examining earlier at the store. How had she…?

Oh, yeah. That was creepy.

"Mikuo! It's that series we like, right? You have to let me read it after you!" Miku exclaimed brightly, "The girl who gave this to you is so good at giving gifts!"

Mikuo suppressed a grimace. He couldn't subject Miku's innocent mind to the truth. Actually, she probably wouldn't even understand. Better not to say anything.

"Yeah. I'll have to thank her," Mikuo agreed. And he would. It was just the polite thing to do.

"Great! When you're done with your smoothie, wash your cup, okay?" Miku told him. She gulped down the last of her own drink and washed the cup in record time, skipping out of the room. The footsteps he heard climbing the stairs told him she was going to her room. Moments later, a door closed and Mikuo relaxed back into his chair. His stomach was doing flips in response to his latest "communication" with his stalker. This was getting pretty weird, even for him.

Nevertheless, he finished his smoothie, washed the cup, and trekked up to his room, where he remained as he attempted to finish the book he had been given. He was surprised to find that, by the time he chose to get up, hours had passed. 233 pages later, Mikuo forced himself to glance to his window. Normally, he wasn't the type to waste a lovely day inside with a book, but he couldn't help it. Not only had he been waiting for months for this book, it was the final one in the series. He had to find out the ending.

But he knew he would regret his lack of outdoor time. So, with a sigh, Mikuo set the book on his bedside table, bookmark placed at chapter twelve exactly.


	3. Chapter 3

School snuck up on him far too quickly. Mikuo found himself on a rush Sunday night, aided by his sister, who kindly helped him with his homework, as well as cleaning his school uniform for the following day. He had never been able to operate the washer without hurting something, usually his clothes.

Monday greeted him with a bright sun, crisp winds, and a boy with blue hair. Kaito Shion, one of Mikuo's best friends, awaited him on the front steps, school uniform crisp and clean. The boy had his own school bag in hand, weighing down his right arm visibly. Mikuo was greeted by the taller boy with a smile and a cuff over the head.

"Hey, Mikuo," Kaito grinned at him.

"Yo, Kaito," Mikuo responded, returning his friendly gesture with a kick to the leg as he passed. Miku, who walked with them more often than not, giggled as the two boys began to walk down the front path.

"Hi, Kaito!" Miku greeted, "How was your weekend?"

"It was alright. Kaiko isn't feeling much better, though," Kaito sighed. He had a prefect "worried older brother" on his face. As well he should. His sister Kaiko always seemed to be under the weather lately. Quite frankly, Miku and Mikuo were also worried. The little girl seemed like she might be on death's doorstep the last time they had seen her. But if she was well enough to be ordering him around (which he had texted Mikuo about all of yesterday to complain) then she must be feeling a bit better. Which was good. Mikuo remembered Kaiko when she was only two and had only grown closer to the child since then. She was sweet and delicate, not unlike Miku. The only difference was that Kaiko was quite shy. Miku? Not so much…

"I'm sure she'll get better, Kaito! She misses being outside too much to let herself sit around in bed!" Miku reassured him in a way only Miku would. Both boys cast her endearing smiles that left her confused.

"Eh? What was that about? Are you two making fun of me?" she demanded, momentarily stopping and letting her hands settle on her hips. The two boys continued forward. "Hey! Answer me! 'Kuo! Kaito!"

"We're going to be late, Nee-chan," Mikuo told his sister as Kaito snickered.

/

Mikuo wasn't a fan of school. In fact, he wasn't very good at learning. His parents told him this was ridiculous; no one was "bad" at learning. Some people probably just had a harder time of it than others. His sister offered her two cents.

"Mikuo isn't bad at learning. He's just stupid," she had chirped, then slammed a palm across her mouth. "No, wait! I meant that he's lazy! No, that isn't right, either…"

She hadn't succeeded in helping him with his school problem, but Mikuo had laughed for a long time as Miku had fought to find what she meant to say. She had never managed to find it and left Mikuo to his own devices as she sulked in her room.

It was no surprise when he was handed back his report card that Monday and instantly let his face fall. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as normal. At least he didn't have any Fs… Well, over all. He had quite a Fs on individual assignments. It wasn't that he didn't try. He just wasn't good at educational things. He liked singing and hanging out with friends and sports and girls. Aside from those things, nothing much interested him, and it was hard to be motivated to do something you didn't want to.

"What's up with that face, Mikuo?" Kaito asked from his seat behind him. Kaito was currently leaning over his shoulder to look at the report he had been handed. "I think I know now."

"Hey! Don't do that!" Mikuo exclaimed, quickly shielding the paper with his body, "Haven't you heard of 'privacy'?"

Kaito grinned. "After years of friendship, I don't think you care. Here, I'll show you mine."

Mikuo waved away the offer. He didn't really care, but sometimes Kaito was so impulsive. And rude.

"I don't want to see yours. It'll just make me feel bad about myself," Mikuo resisted a pout.

Unfortunately, a certain Kagamine boy chose to hear that last thing he had said without knowing the context.

"Are we talking about what I think we're talking about?" Len asked as he scuffed up Mikuo's hair in passing. He leaned on the desk next to Mikuo's that belonged to a girl who wasn't there at the moment. Normally, Len would be scolded for behavior like that, but the teacher was out of the room. Plus, no one really cared when they were on break.

"No, you Goddamn pervert," Mikuo growled. Len released an echoing laugh that had girls swooning around them.

Kagamine Len was a bit of a player. "A bit" in the sense that he didn't actually date anyone. He flirted plenty, sometimes managing to get girls in their twenties interested before he left them alone. That was just who he was. Mikuo knew he was actually interested in someone, but Len had thus far chosen not to tell him. Mikuo was okay with that. If Len didn't want to tell him, he didn't have to.

"Now I'm disappointed. Why did I walk all the way over here just for insults?" Len asked.

"Len, we all know you're a pervert and that you take pride in it, so shut up," Kaito scolded lightly, flicking him in the head. Despite the height difference, you could tell the two boys were the same age. Maybe it was something about their faces or the expressions they wore, Mikuo didn't know. He had always felt like the odd one out; the only one stuck in the mindset and skin of a fourteen-year-old.

"Is Mikuo pouting about his grades again?" Len asked.

"I am not pouting!" Mikuo exclaimed angrily, just as Kaito replied with a simple "Yes." Mikuo glared at the traitor as Len laughed again.

"Poor baby," the blond boy teased, spinning a lock of hair around his finger. Mikuo hadn't noticed before but now he saw the sheet of paper that held Len's grades caught between two fingers of his right hand, which supported him as he leaned against the desk.

"You're one to talk, Slacker Kagamine," Mikuo replied irritably, "I bet you got worse grades than me."

With a grin, Len tossed the paper in his hand carelessly at his friend, somehow managing to land it face up right in front of him. Mikuo almost gave up hope when he saw the latter grades next to each class. His head hit the desk in defeat.

"I give up. I don't even know how you, of all people, managed As and Bs," Mikuo shuddered at the thought, and Len let out an indignant "Hey!"

Kaito patted his shoulder consolingly, letting a smile appear on his face. Of course, Mikuo couldn't see this through the wood of the table.

"You poor, pitiful thing," Kaito told him. Mikuo didn't even bother replying.

"Yo, Mikuo. The teacher is headed this way. And I think she's bringing you a hot girl," Len shook his friend's shoulder. Ignoring Len's crude phrasing, Mikuo brought his head up high enough to see if he was telling the truth. He was.

His teacher, a blond woman with heels on her shoes tall enough to make her about, oh, 5 foot 11, stood above him, blue eyes narrowed in amusement. Beside her, a delicate girl with long, pale hair and lovely caramel eyes stared curiously at him. The teacher wielded a magazine, rolled up into a lethal weapon. In a swift movement, she wacked him across the top of the head.

"Sensei," Mikuo complained, "What was that for?"

She smirked. "For nearly failing my class again. Luckily for you, I'm nice enough to let you retake our last test. That should bring up your grade."

"What? Are you serious?" Mikuo demanded, jumping to his feet. He felt better when he was almost eye-level with her. She was a frightening woman, he had to admit.

"Deadly. And for your benefit, I got you a tutor. Miss Yoshida here is nearly the top of my class. I'm sure she'll be able to help even your poor mind," the teacher offered a poisonous smile. She was enjoying this, wasn't she? Sadist.

"Hey!" Mikuo exclaimed as the teacher away from him dramatically.

"Oh, that's right. You can't interact with girls to save your life. Well, sorry! You two can work out a schedule to study or something. Good luck!" With that, she left the group to themselves.

Mikuo should've expected Len to speak first. He also should've expected him to flirt. Or, at least, attempt to.

"So, Miss Yoshida, was it? You're in my gym class, right?" Len began, a smile spreading across his face. Not his amused smile, nor his happy smile. No, this was the one he used solely to flirt. The smile that girls said made him ten times more attractive. Personally, Mikuo couldn't see it, but maybe that was just him.

"Oh, yes, Kagamine. I believe so," the girl replied. She was pretty, Mikuo realized. She was a little taller than Miku, with hair so light and fluffy Mikuo was reminded of clouds. Despite her uniform, Mikuo could tell she was attractive in terms of curves as well. Her skin looked delicate, soft as flower petals and the color of the smoothest sand. In her hair sat a black band that held back her vast quantities of hair. Mikuo was a bit transfixed, honestly. He had never seen her at school before, which was odd. Well, he couldn't be expected to remember every face he'd seen, could he?

"I thought I recognized you," Len replied, "I guess I'm not used to seeing you in a more flattering uniform. Those gym clothes are so uncomfortable, as well as unstylish."

"Well, thank you," the girl told Len. Maybe it was Mikuo's imagination, but she didn't seem very interested in Len. Was she female at all?

"It's a shame. I wouldn't mind seeing you in _stylish_ gym clothes." The smile on Len's face lead Mikuo to believe stylish was not the word he wanted to use just then.

"I would," she responded bluntly, "If you keep flirting with me, Kagamine, I'll be forced to cut off that ponytail of yours and feed it to the dogs. Or maybe I'll cut off something else, if you beg."

All three boys were dumbstruck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, this story is going to be rather neglected for the course of its creation. I'm focusing more on my main story, which is intended to be a LenxMiku story, if anyone is interested.**

**Since no one has given me suggestions for couples, here are a few I've been thinking about:**

**LenxMiku**

**RinxKaito**

**LenxRin (if they are unrelated)**

**One-sided TeixLen**

**One-sided KaitoxMiku**

**(Obviously) MayuxMikuo**

**Hinted RinxMikuo (with a little bit of jealous Mayu, of course)**

**And I guess I can do a bit of shonen ai or shoujo ai for background couples. I just don't think it will work for this story. Besides, the main focus for this is MayuxMikuo**

**Hearing from people is great. So if all you can manage is a "Cool story, bro" or "Continue", I'm okay with that.**

**And even if this story never gets many followers, I'm okay with that. It's fun to write. Anyway, I hope anyone who reads this enjoys.**

**/**

Admittedly, Mikuo was impressed. This girl had rendered Len Kagamine, school player, speechless. Sure, he himself could not muster up a phrase or sentence or even a word, but getting Len to shut up was a lot more difficult, especially when it was a girl who did it.

None of the boys spoke. The girl chose to fill the silence, turning to Mikuo with a kind smile on her face. "You are Mikuo Hatsune, right? It's nice to meet you."

"U-um, yeah. Same," Mikuo agreed, for lack of anything better to say. Her smile was nice and she seemed to like him well enough. Maybe she wouldn't feel the need to threaten him. That would be great.

"So, Mikuo, I'll wait for you after school and I can help you study. If you wish, I'll walk you to my house, unless you'd feel more comfortable in your own home," she told him, letting her sweet voice drift through the air.

"A-alright. I can walk you to my house and we'll study there," Mikuo decided, the urge to have her leave growing with each moment. Those yellow cat-like eyes, edging almost to amber, seemed to catch him directly in their sights, refusing to release him. No doubt she was pretty, but Mikuo found her intimidating, which in turn made him uncomfortable.

"Then it's been arranged. I will see you after school, Mikuo," she smiled at him and left, that final smile burned into his vision. Why was she so nice to him?

Not long after that, class started without so much as a word from either Kaito or Len.

/

When they were released from school, Mikuo found his new tutor standing outside his classroom, her bag clutched with both hands in front of her. The look on her face suggested that she wasn't paying very much attention to her surroundings. She was staring at the floor, a gentle smile on her face.

"Hey," Mikuo greeted, quietly. He couldn't exactly believe such a pretty girl was willing to tutor him. He hoped he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself.

"Oh, hello, Mikuo. I was waiting for you," the girl looked up at him, keeping her smile on her face. Her body was now turned towards him, her attention directed completely at him.

"Oh. Did I make you wait too long?" Mikuo asked.

"Don't worry. I don't mind," she stated, "Let's go, then."

Mikuo's sister had her club activities after school. Not only was she a member of the student council, but she was also on the girls' soccer team. How she managed all the responsibilities of her clubs and her homework, Mikuo would never know. But he didn't need to know to be impressed.

"Are you okay with helping me study?" Mikuo asked the girl who was walking beside him as they finally left the school building, "Or did the teacher force you?"

"She asked me, yes. She said it would be like extra credit. But I'm glad I get to help you," his companion's smile grew a bit fonder as she continued; "You seem nice."

Mikuo resisted a blush, but couldn't. He felt silly. Girls shouldn't make guys blush. It was way cuter the other way around.

"W-well, thanks," he replied, turning away just enough that she couldn't see his face.

They were fairly silent the rest of the walk. Mikuo let the two of them inside, unsurprised at the silence that met them.

"My parents are still at work. Do you want anything to drink? Eat?" Mikuo asked, setting his shoes in the front closet as he slid them off. The girl copied his actions, picking up her bag, which she had set aside to take off her shoes, and following his to the kitchen.

"Water, please. If it isn't too much trouble," she requested, standing off to the side as he searched for a glass. Running the water over his hand to test the temperature, he filled the glass and handed it to her. She set her bag atop the table as she drank delicately.

"Thank you," she told him, smiling as she set her glass next to her bag.

"No problem. So, where do you want to start?" Mikuo asked. To his confusion, she blushed a bit when he said that.

"O-oh, well, what do you have the most difficulty with?" she replied, stammering a bit. Mikuo questioned this, but ignored it for the most part.

"Um, all of it?"

She laughed. "I assume you at least know the basics. Nevertheless, if I need to teach those to you, I will."

Mikuo smiled at her. "Well, that's reassuring."

Thus, the two teens found themselves at the kitchen table, textbooks stacked off to the side as Mikuo progressed through worksheet after worksheet. They were working on Geometry, his worst subject. No matter how many times he was taught proofs and theorems of triangles, nothing made sense. Miku had attempted to explain the ideas behind each problem many times before, but to no avail. He simply didn't understand any of it. But with his tutor standing over his right shoulder, guiding him through each step, he managed to complete ten problems with her help and four without. Quite simply put, he was both proud and impressed. Never before had he managed to do any of these problems alone and get them right. The accomplishment placed before him made his head spin.

"Okay, Mikuo. We can take a bit of a break if you want," the girl suggested, smiling, "You really improved, even if you still have a lot of work to do."

"Way to motivate me," Mikuo replied, but he returned her smile, "I'm going to steal some cookies. I hope you won't tell on me."

"No one will hear a thing from me," she mimed zipping her lips and tossing the key away. Mikuo grinned and turned to the cabinet that housed the cookie jar, pulling two chocolate chip cookies from the large jar. His tutor took the one he offered her gratefully, nibbling it delicately.

"Thank you," she said politely.

"Yeah, no problem," he told her, closing the cabinet and leaning against the counter. She had taken a seat at the table, turning her chair to him. They were quiet for a moment, until Mikuo spoke up.

"Hey," he began, and the girl jumped to attention, "I just realized I don't know your name. What am I supposed to call you? Miss Yoshida?"

The girl laughed lightheartedly. "That's not necessary. You can call me Mayu. That's my name."

"That's a nice name," Mikuo replied, without think especially hard. Wait.

Her name was…

Mayu Yoshida?

He did a double take, nearly choking on a bit of cookie. Mayu looked on worriedly as he coughed into his hand harshly.

"Are you okay, Mikuo?" she asked, concern slipping into her tone.

In an attempt to reply, he spoke between coughs, his voice straining tightly. "I'm fine! Just… A bit of cookie went the wrong way."

"Oh. Do you need water?" she asked, standing and offering her own cup. Mikuo didn't hesitate to take a large gulp of water, which soothed the burning in his throat and calmed his cough.

"Th-thanks," he told her, not meeting her eyes. So this was Mayu Yoshida. His stalker.

How was he supposed to react?

**/**

**I'm in Geometry. I personally think it's really fun. But poor Mikuo does not share my opinion. Speaking of which, I have some homework for that class...**

**Sorry for the short chapter. The next one will be up sometime this week, hopefully before Friday.**

**Feedback, if you please!**


	5. Chapter 5

Mayu tilted her head, worry masking her face. It made her features look odd. She shouldn't have a frown on her face. She was much prettier with a smile.

Mikuo did his best to avoid her eyes as he turned back to the table. The break was short, just long enough for him to relax and eat his tiny snack. He shouldn't have expected a lot of time. But now that they were back to studying, Mikuo finally noticed Mayu's proximity to him. She was far too close, leaning carefully over his shoulder to help point things out and instruct him on each step. He felt her arm brush his once or twice as she pointed to a part of the problem in the textbook, running a delicate finger below an important word or phrase. Her smell was intoxicating, almost like honey. Sweet and cold. The way her hair had to be tucked behind her ear repeatedly to keep it from her face. Every so often, the blond strands would come loose and spill onto his shoulder.

Thinking about this made him feel sick. This was his _stalker_, after all. No doubt she had seen him at times he'd rather not have her watching. Or maybe she had some amount of decency. That would be amazing, honestly.

"This part is really simple. You just have to prove the Angle Sum Theorem," Mayu explained, tapping the problem and looking at him with a gentle smile. She was still really, uncomfortably close.

"But didn't I just do that?" Mikuo asked, "This is getting really repetitive."

Mayu giggled lightly. "It is a bit. After you prove a theorem, you often reuse it later to prove other theorems."

"So you kind of just have to memorize theorems?" Mikuo asked.

"I wrote them down in my notebook and looked at them to help me. You don't really need to memorize them, but it helps while taking tests," Mayu replied, "If you take notes on them many times, you start remembering them easier. I think that if you practice using these theorems, you'll keep them in your memory for the test."

"Okay," Miku said, not really sure what he had agreed to.

Mayu smiled knowingly, as if it was obvious he had no idea what she was talking about.

"You've been working really hard, Mikuo. I'm proud," she said, "You're a diligent worker."

"Th-thanks," he stuttered, trailing off on the final syllable. Mayu continued to smile.

They literally continued for hours. The progress only stopped when Mayu got a little too close to Mikuo. He flinched away, his chair shifting two inches left in an attempt to move farther from her. She was a bit surprised.

"Is something wrong, Mikuo?" she asked.

"U-uh," he began intelligently, "N-no? I guess, um…"

"Mikuo, sweetie, you can't answer a question with a question," Mayu told him.

_Sweetie?!_

Mikuo blinked rapidly for a moment before turning to look at Mayu. Instantly, he blushed and forced himself to avert his eyes. Mayu seemed to notice.

"What's wrong?" she asked, standing up straight and looking at him. She was only a bit taller than him while he was sitting, a few inches at most. But it was mildly intimidating. _She_ was intimidating. Someone like her, attracted to him? The idea was laughable. Yet Mikuo himself felt a magnetic draw to her. She seemed so kind, and the way she acted made him think Mayu genuinely liked him. Which was weird. She was smart and beautiful and kind and confident. He was somewhat of an idiot, only mildly attractive, awkward and quiet. So very different in personality. But she liked him. It was so weird.

"Y-you're the Mayu Yoshida who sent me that letter?" Mikuo asked, quietly. Her smile slipped ever so slightly. "Right? I mean, I don't want to assume something that isn't right…" he trailed off, his voice blending into silence.

Mayu was quick to reply. "Yes. I didn't think you had noticed the similarity between names."

"I didn't at first," Mikuo admitted, feeling stupid. He had known her last name before, since they had first been introduced. How many Yoshidas did he know, really? God, that was a stupid thing to ignore.

Mayu seemed to find this amusing, but Mikuo had never been good at reading people. Whether she was amused or not, she did her best to offer him a smile. It was strained, but Mikuo found it hard to tell.

"So, where does this leave us?" Mayu questioned, letting her hands clasp behind her.

"What do you mean?" Mikuo managed to ask without stuttering.

"Do you accept my feelings?" Mayu replied.

Mikuo was a bit shocked that she was so blunt. His face went a bit red, and that in and of itself was embarrassing.

"It's just… I guess, hard to believe that someone like you likes me," Mikuo admitted, staring at his own feet, "I don't think I'm very special."

"And I am?" Mayu responded, obviously flattered, "Mikuo, you're an amazing person. You care so much for everyone around you. You work hard at everything you do, even if you don't understand it. I think you have such unique qualities."

Mikuo turned bright red at that, even though he tried not to. "Th-thanks," he muttered quietly, scuffing a shoe over the kitchen floor.

Mayu smiled at his shyness. She liked that about him, too. "So, Mikuo, will you be my boyfriend?"

Mikuo's reply was almost silent. He knew Mayu hadn't heard, so he cleared his throat and repeated it, louder this time. "Y-yeah."

/

Much to Mikuo's mild relief and mild annoyance, his sister chose that time to arrive home. He heard as she opened the front door, closed it loudly, flung her bag across the hall, and skipped into the kitchen. He had had enough time to exchange phone numbers with Mayu while Miku stole herself a cookie and greeted the two of them. She didn't question why he had a girl over, only gave him a thumbs-up behind Mayu's back, which made him blush as she once again skipped away.

That had been last night. Right now, it was morning, and Mikuo found himself walking in the direction of Mayu's house. When he had offered (over text) to walk with her to school, her reply had included a smiley face and an exclamation point. Clearly, the thought excited her. Mikuo found himself awake early, both nervous and excited that he would be walking with his _new girlfriend_ to school. Those two words sent a chill through his body. He really had a girlfriend. A smart, beautiful, kind girlfriend who had the guts to ask him out. Could that get any more perfect?

Well, minus the fact that this all started because she was stalking him… But Mikuo could ignore that. Surely, someone like Mayu couldn't be too weird and creepy.

He arrived at her house without getting lost (an amazing thing, really) and proceeded to ring the doorbell. Within moments, it opened to reveal a small, delicate-looking girl with large eyes and long silver hair. She was small, only about five feet, and young, probably only thirteen or fourteen. Nevertheless, she held the same intimidating look in her eyes as Mayu and her features were pretty, making her look a bit older.

"Hello!" she greeted with an easy smile, "I'm Tei Sukone, Mayu's sister! You must be Mikuo."

So this must be the little sister Mayu told him about. They actually looked fairly similar, despite not being related. That same doll-like beauty, Mikuo decided.

"Hey," Mikuo replied.

"You're picking Mayu up for school?" Tei asked, "Wow! That's so sweet. I wish I had a boyfriend who did that." She swooned lightly, making Mikuo feel rather uncomfortable.

"Tei!"

They both heard Mayu's voice at the same time, turning their heads to see the girl who was rushing down the stairs, barely visible through the open doorway. Her hair bounced around her hips, catching golden light and popping out against her bland uniform, which was decorated in a light blue and grey color scheme.

"You're bad," Mayu told her sister with a teasing smile, "Don't go stealing my boyfriend, you silly girl." She pinched the younger girl's cheek affectionately as said girl faked a pout.

"You always get the best luck," Tei stuck he tongue out at Mayu, who ruffled her hair gently.

"A pretty girl like you is bound to get someone," Mayu reassured, then turned to Mikuo. Maybe it was his imagination, but she looked a bit taller today, probably reacting the edge of his chin. Scanning her, he noticed her shoes had slightly thicker soles than the ones from the previous day.

Mayu noticed his wandering eyes and sent him a smile. Mikuo quickly looked away, feeling his cheeks tinged pink.

"Good-bye, Tei. I'll see you after school," Mayu told the girl, hooking her arm with Mikuo's. He wouldn't lie and say he didn't like the sense of closeness, but it was odd. He hadn't had anyone hang on him like this before, besides Miku and occasionally Kaiko.

"Bye-bye, Mayu! It was nice meeting you, Mikuo!" Tei replied happily, and slammed the door as they left. The two teens turned back around and started their walk to school.

"Your sister is nice," Mikuo commented.

"She gets along with everybody," Mayu replied, happily leaning her head against Mikuo's shoulder. Did couples normally act like that? They hadn't even been dating for twenty-four hours, yet Mayu seemed very clingy already. Mikuo didn't mind, really, but he knew Len and maybe even Kaito would tease him when he got to school.

"She's a lot like you," Mikuo told her, finding walking in step with her difficult. Her legs were shorter than his, but somehow she managed to keep a decent pace right next to him. The added difficulty of their linked arms should have made walking even harder, but Mikuo found that he didn't actually have to focus on how to place his footsteps. Maybe the difficulty was all in his head.

"Oh? How so?" Mayu asked, and Mikuo could hear the smile in her voice.

"You're both intimidating," he admitted. Mayu laughed lightly.

"She two years younger than you," Mayu stated teasingly, "How are you intimidated?"

"I guess you both just have this look in your eyes. Kind of like 'I know something and you don't,' you know?" Mikuo decided that was the best way to put his thoughts into words. Hopefully, Mayu would understand what he meant.

"I see what you mean," Mayu replied, "I think I agree, too. People always think Tei and I are biological sisters. Everyone is surprised that we aren't. I guess that's what makes us so similar."

Miku nodded. The conversation came to a halt for a moment, until Mayu spoke up again.

"You know, I don't mind if you look at me," she stated kindly. Mikuo almost stopped dead.

"Wh-what?" he asked, embarrassed. She was so blunt.

"If you want to look at me, you can. I like having you look at me," Mayu told him, tightening her arm around his for a brief second, "If it's Mikuo, I don't mind being looked at."

Mikuo felt the heat in his face rise. She really was blunt, but since he wasn't, maybe it would work better that way. If he ever learned to control his blush.

"A-alright," Mikuo agreed, a stammer in his voice. Mayu smiled brightly, lifting her head from his shoulder to show him her lovely smile.

"Your blush is adorable," she added, as an afterthought. Of course, Mikuo blushed deeper and looked away, which made her giggle. He really was cute.

"Th-that's embarrassing," he murmured.

**/**

**Okay, so it's been requested that I include KaitoxLen. If anyone has an objection, you can send me your best argument and a "better" suggestion. If you don't care, that's great.**

**I didn't expect this story to be so much fun to write. I think Mayu and Mikuo's relationship is a bit fast, but since Mayu wants to go a bit faster and Mikuo seems like he's being dragged along by her, it works well enough. I think a shy Mikuo is adorable, honestly. **

**For future reference, I will not make the chapters any longer. They will all be between 1,000-2,000 words because that's all I can manage. This story is meant to be simple; kind of a distraction from my main one (which is stressing me out). There may be a few chapters longer than average when I have lots of time on my hands, but what you have seen so far will be what you get, for the most part. Because the chapters are short, I'll update as frequently as possible. Deal? Alright.**

**This story will probably turn into more of a slice-of-life or school-life thing later on, when their relationship finally settles a bit (after the things I have planned for them (be afraid...)), so it might get random later. For now, I actually have a story planned.**

**Thanks to valkyrievampire888 for being the first to review. Reviews, feedback, and suggestions are welcomed. If all you have to say is "OMG a story," I'll be okay with that (even if that's just kind of a dumb thing to say). **


	6. Chapter 6

**So I've decided on a few background pairings. Since someone asked for KaitoxLen and someone else requested no yaoi, I have no idea what to do. I value my readers! I must please you all! What is an author to do? Bah, whatever. I'll think of something.**

**Anyway, these are the pairings I wanted to do:**

**PikoxMiku**

**onesided TeixLen (I love TeixLen...)**

**onesided RinxMikuo**

**RinxOliver/Rei (I don't know which one yet)**

**And that's about it. Any objections? Well, sorry. I am the author and I am all-powerful when it comes to writing the story! My word is law!**

**Kidding. I love hearing the opinions of my readers. Besides, what's an author with her (or his, I guess) readers? If the readers aren't pleased, they won't be readers for long...**

**Now, enjoy the chapter that took me many hours of stalling to produce.**

**/**

Of course, Len chose this day to wait for him by the gate. The blond boy did an amazing double take when he saw Mikuo walking to school arm-in-arm with Mayu. His jaw dropped, and the school flirt did his best to cover up his momentary lapse of "cool."

"Yo, Mikuo!" he waved lazily, but it was clear from his expression that he wasn't over the shock of seeing Mikuo with a girl who was not only a pretty girl, but a pretty girl who had rejected him in a very threatening way.

"H-hey, Len," he greeted, avoiding his friend's eyes. Oh, he knew that look well. Len was definitely going to tease him later, after gossiping with Kaito. Honestly, they were like middle school girls.

"And who's this here? Your tutor, right?" Len leaned in a bit closer, almost warily, as if afraid Mayu would hiss and bat at his nose. Mikuo wouldn't put it past her.

"Her name's Mayu Yoshida," Mikuo told his friend as the two sized each other up, eyes clashing. Mikuo was surprised he didn't see sparks. "She's my new… New girlfriend."

"Eh?" Len glanced up at Mikuo. Really, Len was only a bit taller than Mayu, to his private amusement. The blond boy would probably toss his body in a river if Mikuo voiced this amusement.

"Of course you chose the violent, scary one," Len rolled his eyes. Mayu made a sound of indignation and squeezed Mikuo's arm a bit tighter.

"She's not scary," Mikuo defended, embarrassed that he felt the need to protect Mayu. She smiled at him gratefully, but Len cast him a look of betrayal. Mikuo tried to look apologetic, but didn't really feel it.

"Maybe you don't have common sense," Len suggested, eyeing Mayu oddly. She stuck her tongue out at him, the first immature act he had seen from her. Quite frankly, Mikuo thought it was adorable.

"I'll see you later, Mikuo," Mayu pecked him on the cheek briefly, causing the boy to turn red and avoid eye contact with Len, who looked amused, despite his annoyance about Mikuo's taste in girls.

"Yeah," Mikuo managed, "Lunch?"

"If you want," she replied with a wink. In moments, she had disappeared across the school grounds, walking up the few stairs to the front doors. Her near-white hair followed her in a flash of dancing light.

"Dude," Len began, "How could you not text me about this? Aren't I a good friend?"

Mikuo rolled his eyes, letting his embarrassment at Mayu's public display of affection wear off as they, too, walk steadily to the school. People who had witnessed the entrance of this new couple whispered quietly, though he couldn't catch what they were saying. If he had been able to hear, words of disappointment would have reached his ears.

_"That's Mikuo Hatsune! Did you just see him with Mayu?"_

_"Who? Yoshida?"_

_"Yeah, man. I kinda wanted to ask her out…"_

_"Bro, you couldn't get a girl like that in a million years."_

On the other end of the spectrum, girls seemed both disappointed and enthralled. Gossip always sparked a new light in their eyes, one all of the male populace feared.

"Len, you're idea of being a good friend is giving me pizza coupons for my birthday," Mikuo replied.

"A growing boy needs his vegetables," Len stated, running a hand through his hair. Mikuo fought the urge to roll his eyes as girls around him withered on the spot.

"One, pizza is not a vegetable," Mikuo held up a finger, "Two, you are a moron. Three, I'm taller than you. Who needs to grow now?"

With a grumble, Len shot him a cold glare. "I'm choosing to ignore that and let you live since you recently got lucky enough to score a girl like _her_."After a moment, Len added, "Minus her personality. She's actually a babe, man. A complete hottie."

"I don't think Mayu would be flattered to hear that from you," Mikuo replied, ignoring the fact that they were currently talking about his girlfriend. Len really could be a bit insensitive when it came to girls.

"I only speak the truth," Len responded defensively, "But really. You get girls faster than me."

Before Mikuo could reply, the familiar voice of a blue-haired individual interrupted him.

"Len, that isn't humanly possible," Kaito stated firmly. He had managed to sneak up behind them as they took the stairs to their first period class, which was actually homeroom. The boys had the extreme luck of having many classes together.

"I'm not sure whether I should be insulted or not," Mikuo said icily, "Did you just imply that I can't get girls?"

"No. Len's such a flirt, no one can get a girl faster than him," Kaito replied, and then did a bit of a double-take that involved glancing at Mikuo with confusion flooding his eyes, "Wait, you got a girl?"

"I have a girlfriend, yeah," Mikuo muttered a bit uncomfortably. To his surprise, Kaito held out a closed fist. Willingly, Mikuo fist-bumped him, letting a grin filter onto his face.

"Awesome. Introduce me, yeah?" he asked as Len huffed.

"You met her already," the blond told Kaito, "Yesterday. She's Mikuo's new tutor."

"That one?" Kaito asked, "She's kind of intimidating. But whatever. Mikuo's always had good taste in girls. Remember his crush on Rin?"

With that, Mikuo's mood went down a bit. Of course they'd remember something embarrassing like that.

"I remember that! That was adorable," Len snickered, "Rinny still has no idea. She thinks you play video games with all the girls."

Mikuo's face contorted in both annoyance and embarrassment. Rin Kagamine, older twin of Len Kagamine. What she lacked in feminine grace, she made up for in kindness, despite her rough tomboy attitude. Back in middle school, Mikuo had found her adorable and enduring. These ideas of her resulted in a crush that lasted months. She was one of the girls Mikuo knew he had been in love with at some point. They had just interacted so well together. But Rin was so naïve, really. She would have never guessed Mikuo's feelings for her. Admittedly, sometimes he imagined what might've happened if he had had the guts to just walk up to her and ask her out. But he didn't like her anymore, luckily. Somehow, though, they were still friends, interacting mainly because of video games or soccer.

Even though he had gotten over his crush, his friends hadn't. They found it hilarious.

"I got over that!" Mikuo replied, almost desperately. If Rin ever found out about his silly crush, she would probably never talk to him again. It would be too embarrassing.

"But it was so cute," Kaito insisted, "You were begging Len to find out who she liked, just to see if you even had a chance."

"That was weird," Len stated plainly, "Imagine if I asked the same of you about Miku?"

That certainly registered in his brain. "You stay away from Miku," he ordered coldly, only making Len laugh.

"Mikuo, you're sister has the mind of an eight-year-old. I have no intention of going anywhere near her," the blond said, flicking his friend in the head. Mikuo let out a sigh of relief. He wouldn't want his sister falling for some insensitive flirt like Len. They were friends, yes, but that would make it even weirder.

"Good. You'd better remember that," he threatened. Len smirked but said nothing.

/

Mayu met up with him at lunch. She had been standing beside the open cafeteria doors as he walked in. She had stood out heavily against the crowd of students. Amidst loud shouts and laughter, jumping and running and a general mass of people, she stood so still, eyes on the ground. In front of her, she held her bag, unknowingly letting a small smile sit upon her face. Mikuo wasn't sure whether she looked sad or beautiful.

To his surprise, she greeted him first, glancing up as he approached her. Behind him, Len and Kaito stood. He felt their snickers rather than hearing them.

"Hello, Mikuo," she smiled warmly.

"Hi," he replied, "Are you okay with sitting at our usual table?"

"Oh, yes. I don't usually eat in here. I tend to take my lunches in the student council room," she said, "It's very loud."

Mikuo had to agree. "Yeah, no kidding. Come on, then. I'll introduce you to some of my friends."

Together, they walked, Mikuo making sure to place a good amount of open space between them as Mayu closed the distance ever so slightly with each step. Kaito and Len followed, sharing a private joke.

"Hey, Mikuo!" one of their usual tablemates, Teto Kasane, greeted. She was a year ahead of them, a close friend of Miku's. She too acted childish, but Mikuo knew from first-hand experience that she was anything but innocent, as she claimed to be. Next to her sat Miku, beaming up at the new arrivals. Along with the two older girls, Rin Kagamine had seated herself lazily on the bench, letting her crackers spill crumbs across the table. The only boy that was there was Piko Utatane, the son of the school nurse and a bit of a pain-in-the-ass. He was constantly disinterested in everything they spoke about, only joining a conversation when Miku invited him to. Whatever it was about his sister that sparked Piko's interest, he didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Hey, Teto," he replied, letting Miku drag him down next to her. Mayu slid beside him on his other side, her arm brushing his.

"Who's this?" the drill-haired girl asked curiously, eyeing Mayu with interest.

"This is Mayu," Mikuo introduced the girl, "She's my girlfriend."

Miku clapped happily. "That's great, Mikuo! I'm so happy for you!"

Rin, who just had to include her two cents, grinned in a very cat-like way and flicked a cracker crumb at him. "Nice going, 'Kuo. I was sure you'd be alone for the rest of your life."

With a playful scowl, Mikuo cuffed her over the head. To him, she was just another one of the guys now. He'd act like this around guys, if they didn't happen to be Len, Kaito, and Piko.

"Yeah, you wish. Someone to join you in your pathetic existence," Mikuo teased. He felt the death rays spiraling from Mayu before he turned to see. Well, he should've guessed she'd be that way if he interacted with other girls. She had been (still was?) his stalker, which pretty much meant she was obsessed with him. He should probably be more careful in the future.

In order to calm her down, he scooted closer to her, allowing his arm to rest right next to hers. An intake of breath from her told him she was surprised at the contact. Yes, he was shy and preferred not to interact affectionately in public, but he knew she probably wanted to be a whole lot closer. He could give her something, at least.

"Hi, Mayu! I'm Teto!" the energetic teen greeted. To Mikuo's surprise, Mayu shyly smiled and returned her greeting.

"I'm Mikuo's sister, Miku!" the short pigtailed girl exclaimed from Mikuo's other side, leaning over the table to get a better look at the new girl she had just met.

Mayu nodded. "Hello, Miku, Teto," she smiled gently, shyly. That was weird. Mayu hadn't acted very shy around him or Len or even Kaito. Maybe she was different around girls.

"I'm Rin, Lenny's twin, and this is Piko," Rin grinned widely at the new arrival, gesturing to the boy who sat next to Miku. He didn't even bother saying anything. Mikuo really did not like that boy.

Mikuo expected something along the lines of "I hope you aren't as annoying as your brother" to come out of Mayu's mouth, but she just nodded and remained quietly. Wow. She really did act differently around girls. Maybe Mikuo should ask her about that later.

His friends accepted Mayu fairly quickly. Even through their first lunch with her, Miku and Teto pushed her to talk as much as possible. Rin and Kaito, whether they were teasing her or not, complimented the lunch she had prepared for herself after stealing a bite each. Mayu offered Kaito a glare (not Rin, Mikuo noticed) and proceeded to share the remainder of her lunch with Mikuo, which was a bit embarrassing. She had a rice dish, complete with ginger and chicken. Although it was cold, Mikuo enjoyed it all the same.

On their way home, the only chance they had to be alone, Mayu told him that his friends were very nice. She looked so sincere and even a little happy. Mikuo completely forgot to ask about how she acted earlier as she waved farewell to him and shut her front door behind her. Mikuo heard Tei inside, happily greeting her older sister as she ran down the stairs.

Sighing, Mikuo turned back around and left the front porch. At his home, his own sister greeted him just as Tei had Mayu, running down the stairs and tackling. She hung from his shoulders and he protested loudly. Had she gained weight?

"Mikuo~!" his sister exclaimed, grabbing his hands and jumping about happily, "Mikuo's got a girlfriend! I'm so happy!"

"Geeze, sis," Mikuo grumbled, "Overreact much?"

But he was secretly happy as she rushed into the kitchen, yelling something about celebrating. Shaking his head, he smiled and followed his childish sister, still unable to believe it himself.

Mikuo Hatsune had a girlfriend.

What a miracle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Beware! Terrible writing lies ahead! **

**Yeah, I think I rushed things a bit. But I want things to ****_move_****. I always end up putting in filler and I really want to avoid that. It's so boring...**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

**This author's note is mainly an attempt to make the word count go up...**

**Yeah, I'll repeat it:**

**Enjoy!**

/

Despite being with each other much of the week, the official first date of Mayu Yoshida and Mikuo Hatsune didn't actually happen to the weekend. At which time, both their parents demanded to meet the new "better half" of their child. Mikuo responded by yelling something about not being married, and Mayu only smiled at her parents, who knew well that their daughter wouldn't mind the teasing. Miku and Tei met each other sometime during the week, although Mikuo didn't know exactly when they happened to exchange a word. Somehow, the two seemed to suddenly become the best of friends one day when Miku insisted on walking Mayu home with him.

It had been a rather active week, to say the least.

Miku had been the one to set of their date, really. She had talked to Mayu about it, but it had been Miku who had somehow acquired tickets to a concert, Miku who had placed a reservation at a nice restaurant. Now, Miku had walked over to Mayu's house to help her get ready an entire hour before they were supposed to meet up. Mikuo was to walk to her house, greet her parents and little sister, than walk with her to the restaurant. Afterwards, they would walk to the concert. Why everyone was putting so much effort into a silly teenager's date was beyond him.

Sighing, Mikuo ran his fingers through his hair. Admittedly, he was standing in front of his mirror, trying his best to look a little less scrappy than normal, but hating himself for doing so. He was never the type to work overly hard to impress someone. With Mayu, it was different. She was just so much more mature and impressive than him. He actually liked her a lot, considering how they met.

With a sour look on his face, Mikuo groaned and pulled away from the mirror. Before he could really decide what to do with himself, the doorbell rang. Realizing his parents were unlikely to answer and Miku was gone, he quickly hurried down the stairs and to the front door. Opening it up, he was met with two short blond teens. Len and Rin, in casual clothes, stood with matching grins on their face. Mikuo thought they looked rather evil. Rin carried a bag over her shoulder and Len had ear buds in. The cord led to his pocket, where his iPod was stashed.

"What are you two planning?" Mikuo demanded, propping open the door with his foot. He crossed his arms in an attempt to look intimidating.

"Oh, we all know you can't dress fashionably to save your life," Len stated, pulling one ear bud from his ear.

"So we're here to make ya look hot," Rin concluded. Mikuo's face burned at her blunt way of saying it.

"I'm not sure whether to be grateful or frightened," Mikuo grumbled, letting them in, "Probably offended, really."

The Kagamine twins cast him matching cat-like smiles. The look on their oh-so-similar faces made him shiver, but he followed them up the stairs to his room.

"Miku usually answers the door," Rin stated curiously.

"She went to Mayu's. I bet she's just hanging out with Tei, although she did say she would try to help Mayu get ready," Mikuo told the two. Silently, he added _It's not like Mayu needs any help looking nice, anyway._

Luckily, the twins couldn't hear his thoughts. They would never let him live them down if they ever did manage to listen in to his private ideas.

"Is Tei Mayu's sister?" Len asked, suddenly interested.

"Len, she's two years younger than you. Mayu would murder you," Mikuo told his friend, who sighed sadly. Rin elbowed her brother and rolled her eyes before turning into Mikuo's room.

Both twins had been in his room many times, sometimes together, sometimes apart. More often than not, Rin was the one who spent the most time with him, playing video games or messing around online. Len often excused himself to bug Miku. But neither twin had been over in a while. Len had his girls to flirt with and his popularity to deal with, and Rin seemed to be focusing on school an awful lot lately. It made him a bit sad, and Mikuo admitted he missed being so close to both of them. But Mayu had filled a bit of an empty spot in his heart, the place that human interacting filled. Maybe that's why he liked her so much.

"Alright, 'Kuo!" Rin exclaimed, falling onto his bed with her bag in her lap. She unzipped the top, pulling out folded clothes and a comb.

"If you have hair gel, I will kick you both out here and now," Mikuo threatened. They chuckled and RIn reassured him she didn't.

"Here," she held out the clothes, "Change into these. They're Len's, so I'm not sure if they fit."

As her brother protested angrily about his size, Mikuo raised an eyebrow when he took the clothes.

"Change here, Rinny?" he asked, smirking. The girl laughed good-naturedly.

"The bathroom, idiot," she told him, kicking his leg. She had left on her shoes, something that would piss his mother off to no end if it were anyone but Rin.

Quickly, Mikuo went into the bathroom down the hall. In all, the Hatsunes had three bathrooms. One was downstairs, one was connected to their parent's room, and another was shared between the two Hatsune siblings, something that irked both of them but they had since learned to accept.

He straightened the clothes. Despite being Len's, they fit well enough. Maybe he was shorter than he thought. Or maybe Len was taller than he thought. Either way, he certainly felt less entitled to teasing Len about his height.

Upon entering his room, he saw Len digging through his desk. Unfortunately, he had chosen to dig through the drawer that contained Mayu's very creepy stalker letter. He didn't need the king of perverts making jokes about his relationship with Mayu.

"Get out of my stuff," Mikuo told the boy harshly. The blond jumped and slid the drawer shut with a sly grin. Mikuo didn't like it when he had that look on his face.

"Gladly," Len replied, "Your stuff isn't very interesting, anyway."

"That's because you've been through it all," Mikuo stated, "How do I look?"

Rin clapped, a loud audience of one. "Excellent! You look like a delinquent!"

"No, he doesn't," Len corrected, "He looks like a teal version of me. Which I quite like."

"That's weird, Len," Mikuo told his friend.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Len would date himself if he could."

"Probably," Mikuo agreed.

"I'm not even going to argue," Len shrugged as if it didn't matter to him at all. That earned him a laugh from both his sister and his friend.

Rin stood up, scooping a comb out of her bag. "Now, let's try to fix that crazy hair of yours," she dictated, as if he had no choice, which he didn't when it came to Rin. She had a will of steel.

"Don't pull out all my hair, please," Mikuo requested sarcastically, sitting down in his desk chair. He was too tall to stand while she attempted to tame his messy hair. The process of making those teal locks neat took about fifteen minutes, and even then Rin scuffed up his hair a bit, saying it looked "sexy." He really didn't understand girls in the least.

"There you go!" Rin bowed dramatically.

"I actually see a difference," Len grinned teasingly. Mikuo ignored him.

"You look great now! You just needed a bit of help from Master Rin, queen of fashion!" Rin exclaimed, smiling at her work, "I hope Mayu dresses up a lot. Oh! I bet she'd look cute in one of those cute Lolita dresses! A gothic one!"

Mikuo groaned. "You'd better stay away from my date. I won't have either of you making it weird. No stalking, got it?" He had plenty of stalkers to deal with already.

"Yeah, yeah," Rin waved off his warning, "What do you take us for?"

"Psychopaths. But maybe only a little bit," Mikuo held his fingers about a centimeter apart to show the twins. They grimaced.

"Idiot," Len said.

"Jerk," Rin supplied.

"Oh, shut up. And get out of my house! I have to leave soon!" Mikuo demanded, pushing the pair to his door. Both had matching grins and laughed as he slammed the door behind them.

"We're going to go steal your food!" Rin yelled through the door. Mikuo listened as their hurried footsteps crashed down the stairs. He let out a sigh of relief as the front door audibly closed, leaving his house silent, save for his own breathing.

God knew one Kagamine offspring was enough, but for some reason he decided to give the world two.

Mikuo shook his head, smiling. What would he do without his favorite troublemakers?

/

The blond twins walked quietly home in the afternoon air. Rin had her bag slung over her shoulder, a purpose in her blue eyes. Though sadness tinged her delicate face. Only Len could see this. He was the only one who knew her well enough to understand what her expressions meant. Those smiles she sent to Mikuo lied; she wasn't happy. She wasn't overjoyed. But for whatever reason, she just couldn't tell Mikuo that. Len shook his head, almost angrily.

He knew how his sister felt about Mikuo. She had admitted it only a few weeks ago, maybe even a month. Far before this Mayu girl got her claws in Mikuo. Rin deserved to be happy and only Rin, if no one else. He didn't like Mayu, anyway. It should be Rin who was going to the concert with Mikuo. Only Rin.

It made him so angry, but he didn't know who to be mad at. He knew Mikuo cared for Rin; he was just dense. He couldn't be mad at Rin because she was his cute sister. He would do anything for her and she would do the same for him. The most obvious choice was Mayu, but even then, he wasn't angry. He just didn't like her. She was too… Not compatible. Mikuo and Mayu. Mayu and Mikuo. Their names didn't even sound right.

Rin and Mikuo.

Mikuo and Rin.

Rin Kagamine and Mikuo Hatsune.

Rin and Mikuo Hatsune.

Len almost laughed at himself for thinking that. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself. But he approved of Mikuo and Rin being together. It sounded right to him.

And it was killing Rin to see her crush with someone else. Someone so pretty and smart. Rin had never had the greatest self-esteem, and now she felt as if Mikuo had chosen this girl over her. Even though his sister had never and probably wouldn't ever confess, he could tell how she felt. Those eyes of her could hold so much emotion. Len could tell which ones were fake.

And all those smiles.

All that happiness.

She was faking it.

Just because she couldn't risk ruining her relationship with Mikuo.


	8. Chapter 8

**About the Tei and Miku friendship thing: Just because they are friends right now doesn't mean they will be in future. I love the Tei-Miku conflict when it comes to Tei's obsession with Len. But Tei hasn't met Len yet, right? There's still time for Tei-Miku war, for those of you who question their friendship.**

**Anyway, I have now completely decided on pairings and background stories, so no more asking, alright? I'll try not to disappoint anyone, but sometimes those things happen.**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

/

Mikuo arrived at Mayu's house a bit early and could hear the chaos inside. Mainly laughter.

With feelings of fears and worry, he knocked lightly on the door, forgetting about the doorbell. In moments, the short younger sister of Mayu answered, smiling up at him.

"Mayu and Miku are upstairs!" Tei told him, "They'll be down in a few minutes."

So the thumping he had heard earlier was probably the two girls rushing up the stairs like maniacs. He could imagine Miku doing that, but Mayu didn't seem the type to rush anywhere.

"Okay. I'll just wait here, then," Mikuo decided, getting more and more nervous by the moment.

"I'll tell Mayu you're here!" Tei exclaimed, turning to run up the stairs. She left the front door open, clearly not worried that Mikuo would come in and steal anything. It might be weird to say, but if his sister's boyfriend came over, he'd probably suspect such a thing.

"Mayu!" he heard her call through her sister's bedroom door (well, that's how he imagined it), "Mikuo's here and he looks super-hot and you should really hurry up because making him wait is rude!"

Mikuo felt his face redden. Hearing a girl like Tei say that was beyond embarrassing, especially when she was so blunt about it.

"Tei!" Mayu's scolding tone reached his ears. At least someone realized it was a weird thing to say.

Moments later, Miku and Tei rushed down. Miku tackled Mikuo happily and he shouldn't have been surprised when Tei did the same.

"Mikuo," Miku exclaimed in excitement, "You're girlfriend is so pretty! She didn't even need my help!"

"We just got in her way!" Tei sounded proud.

"C-can you two just… Um… Get off?" Mikuo asked, face burning. Both teens had their arms wrapped around his neck, weighing him down heavily.

"Tei!" Mayu's exasperated voice sighed. Mikuo turned to look at her and he nearly lost consciousness. Honestly, how had he managed to get such a pretty girlfriend?

Mayu wore a black hairband with a Hello Kitty-like pink bow on the side. Her skirt was black, lined with pink lace, and brushed the bottoms of her knees. Her eyes had been lightly accented with gentle mascara and eye-liner, making them look more yellow and catlike than ever. Her shirt was a dark pink, the neckline forming a V. At the end of the V, a tiny bow sat, the same shade of pink as the one on her hairband. The sleeves were short, folded up against her arms evenly. The outfit was simple yet cute. Mikuo thought she would look dazzling in anything.

"Get off of him, you silly girls," Mayu ordered with a smile. That smile was a bit deadly. Was she jealous of the two girls? Mikuo hoped not; he really didn't want to deal with a jealous Mayu.

Tei and Miku pouted as they released Mikuo from their death grip. Mikuo shot Mayu a look of appreciation. She smiled warmly in return.

"Let's go, Mikuo," she said. He nodded dumbly, still a bit shocked by her attractiveness. He really shouldn't have been, though. He'd had an entire week to admire her beauty. Actually, he had spent so much staring at her that he himself felt like a stalker.

"Have fun, 'Kuo!" Miku called after the two as they left. Their sisters stood in the doorway with smiles of happiness, waving energetically.

"Don't act too weird, Mayu! This one is a total keeper!" Tei shouted as the pair left the Yoshida property, avoiding each other's eyes in embarrassment.

Once out of earshot, Mayu said, "Sisters are evil."

Mikuo could help chuckling. "No kidding," he agreed.

"So, we're going to eat first, right?" Mayu asked.

"That's what Nee-chan told me," Mikuo replied, "I hope it's not super expensive. Miku has a habit of pretending I have unlimited funds."

Mayu giggled. "If it's too much for you, we can split the bill."

Mikuo hated to agree, but nodded all the same.

They arrived at the restaurant at 12:17, a bit before they had intended. Mikuo was relieved to see it was a simple little café. Through the window, he could see large chocolate cakes and pastries lining the display case. Even from outside, he could smell baked goods and warm food. When they entered, he didn't bother questioning the fact that the tables and booths were mainly occupied by young couples. Immediately, a waitress with short brown hair and a simple outfit consisting of an apron over her t-shirt and jeans greeted them with a smile.

"Hello! Table for two?" she asked, pulling two menus from a basket on the front desk. Podium. Mikuo didn't even know what to call it.

"Yes, please," Mayu smiled in return and the older waitress showed them to a table placed close to the window.

"I'll let you look over the menus and I'll be right back," the waitress beamed and left, leaving the two of them alone with their menus.

"This is a lovely little place," Mayu commented with a sweet smile.

"Yeah," Mikuo agreed, flipping open his menu to scan what was available.

"Miku has nice taste," Mayu stated softly, following suit.

"Hm," Mikuo replied.

/

Unknown to the two inside, a small group of teens had decided that, despite Mikuo's warning to the Kagamine siblings, they would follow them, anyway. Across the street, decked out in rather suspicious clothing, stood the blond twins, Miku, and Teto. While Miku and Rin had their gazes fixed steadily on Mikuo and Mayu, Teto was dragging Len away from a cute group of girls who were shooting him flirty winks.

"Enough, Len!" Miku demanded, "What better things are there to do than watching love bloom?"

"You're a sap," Len told the girl, waving to the group of girls who stood mere meters away. Teto had a firm grip on the back of his shirt and rolled her eyes at the boy.

"Shut it, Len," Rin demanded, "We're being creepy here. It takes concentration."

Len instantly closed his mouth and held back any retorts he might've had. He knew full well his sister intended to fight Mayu and Mikuo's relationship and he wouldn't do anything to stop her.

"Rin understands!" Miku exclaimed happily.

"You, too, Miku," Rin ordered. She had a determined look in her eyes.

Miku pouted. "Can you tell what's going on now?"

"Mikuo's asking what she wants to eat," Teto informed brightly. All eyes turned to her. "It's not that hard to read lips if you really focus," the girl told them with a grin.

"No wonder you always know the best gossip," Len muttered. The other girls agreed with him silently.

"So tell us what they're saying as they go along, alright, Teto?" Miku asked, eyes growing wide and pleading.

"Of course!" Teto exclaimed, "Mayu says she wants a sandwich! I don't know which one; didn't catch that part."

Len face-palmed comically. "The important things, Teto. That isn't helpful."

Teto put on a pout that matched Miku's closely. "You never specified what you wanted to know," she whined.

"Teto! We're stalking their _date_! We want to know about the romance and stuff!" Miku cried, receiving looks from people as they passed by.

"You shoulda said that!"

/

Returning back to the date after a glimpse of the chaos outside, Mayu and Mikuo sat quietly at their table, content with looking over the meal options.

"Okay, I think I know the orders now," Mikuo told Mayu, closing his menu, "We'll just wait for the waitress now."

"Okay," Mayu agreed, letting her napkin settle across her lap. Silence was dominate for a moment before she spoke up.

"Is our relationship weird?" she asked. Mikuo blinked and glanced at her.

"W-well, um… What do you mean?" he replied.

"I guess… Just the stalking thing," Mayu shrugged a bit, holding his eyes with hers. Outside, Rin and Miku shot each other questioning looks as Teto relayed the conversation they were watching.

"I-it is kind of weird…" Mikuo told her with a blush. They hadn't discussed the issue very much, really.

"I thought so," she replied, "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"Ah," Mikuo didn't really know how to reply, "M-maybe a bit. But I'm more flattered than anything else, I guess…" he trailed off, avoiding her eyes in embarrassment.

_God, he's cute,_ Mayu decided internally. She really did have great taste in guys.

"That makes me happy," Mayu smiled, letting her hand settle on top of his. They hadn't held hands very much yet, and only when they were alone. Mikuo's bush rose gently.

"_You_ make me happy, Mikuo," she added, that same beautiful smile filling his vision, "I'm very glad you're my boyfriend."

Mikuo couldn't control the heat in his face as he glanced away. Mayu continued smiling warmly as he avoided her eyes.

"Mayu," he began, "Why are you always so embarrassing?"

"It's cute when you blush," she stated bluntly.

"It's cuter when girls blush," he argued shakily.

"Mikuo," Mayu responded, smile gentle and warm as ever, "You are the shy one in this relationship. It takes a lot to make me blush."

Mikuo almost pouted. Almost. But he couldn't reply as the waitress approached them and took their orders. Mayu spoke for both of them as Mikuo was still too embarrassed to speak properly.

The conversation turned normal after that. Complaints about school, review of the math Mayu had tutored him on, music, TV, books, and other teen-related things. Mayu was easy to talk to when she wasn't being insanely blunt. Mikuo actually managed to make her laugh once, which was nice. He liked her laugh.

Mikuo managed to pay for both their meals, despite Mayu's insistence. Secretly, she was pleased he cared enough to offer, but knew he didn't have much money.

"Let's go, then," Mayu smiled, standing to leave. Mikuo walked with her to the front door, feeling her skirt brush against his leg.

"That was a nice meal," Mayu told him.

"It was," he agreed.

"So, the concert?" she questioned, stepping a bit closer to him as they walked.

"Yeah," Mikuo replied, "I think it's just some local band, but it should be enjoyable."

"Miku was kind to get them for us," Mayu beamed. Down the street, Miku's face held a similar look of happiness as Teto told her what Mayu had said. Rin looked sour and a bit betrayed.

"Yeah. I'll thank her again later," Mikuo told her.

"Good brother," she replied, patting his cheek. The skin-on-skin contact made him blush again. He really wished he could control that…

"I think it's this way," Mikuo managed to say, turning down a new street. Mayu giggled and stuck close to his side.

/

Hours later, after a loud concert and large crowd, Mikuo found himself walking Mayu home. They were hand in hand and close. It was getting close to dinner now. Where had the afternoon gone? Not that he was complaining; spending his time with Mayu was an amazing way to spend his weekend.

When they had reached her door, Mayu turned a brilliant smile on him. "I had so much fun," she said softly.

"Me, too," he agreed. He felt a bit uncomfortable by her proximity to him and she seemed to be getting closer as they continued to speak. Maybe Mikuo was just imagining it.

"It was an amazing first date," she smiled. No, she was definitely getting closer. It wasn't in his head.

"Yeah," he returned her smile.

"I'll call you later," she said. Her face was inches from his. He had unknowingly bent his head a bit and she was on her toes. Now he too was closing the distance between them. Until-

"Mayu!" a voice exclaimed as the front door burst open. Both teens turned their heads to see tei, who had a goofy grin on her face.

"Oh, you two were totally going to kiss!" she exclaimed. Mikuo blushed but Mayu remained calm.

"You," Mayu smiled warmly, leaning across the doorway to scuff up the younger girl's hair, "are a horribly cruel child."

"And I know it!' Tei announced proudly, "Hi, Mikuo! Did you have fun?"

"Y-yeah," Mikuo stuttered.

"Cool!" Tei exclaimed, "Bye!" And with that, she disappeared up the stairs. Mayu smiled apologetically.

"I'll talk to you later, Mikuo," she offered, waving once before shutting the door.

Admittedly, Mikuo was a little disappointed he hadn't gotten to kiss Mayu. But thinking about it a bit more, maybe it was too soon in their relationship to be kissing. And honestly, Mikuo didn't know the first thing about kissing. He'd probably be terrible at it. Better to wait, really.

He scuffed the soles of his shoes across the ground, letting his disappointment show. The day had been really nice, though. He shouldn't let such a silly thing get him down.

When he got home, dinner was ready. Miku, his mother, and his father sat around the table as he opened the door. His family was gentle with their questions and their teasing alike. Mikuo appreciated that.

Later, Rin and Len once again invaded his room to take back the clothes they had lent. It might've just been him, but Rin seemed like she was in a bad mood. Len wasn't much better, a sour look placed on his face. They left quickly, and Mikuo spent the rest of the night texting Mayu and playing video games, trying to forget the looks the twins had given him. What was up with them, anyway?

Mikuo would find out soon enough. Sooner than he thought, in fact.

/

**Stupid Tei. She got in the way of the kiss.**

**Anyway, review if you have time! Or if you want to. Or for any other reason. Until next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

The remainder of the weekend was calm. On Sunday, Mayu stopped by to help him study one final time for his math test. Miku jumped in to help whenever she passed his bedroom, which was far too often for his liking. His mother brought up sandwiches for lunch, as well as pink lemonade. Mikuo had found out the day before that it was Mayu's favorite drink and his mother clearly remembered.

But despite hours of studying, Mikuo was growing nervous as school on Monday drew to a close. His teacher had set aside time for him and one other person to retake the test after school. Mikuo wasn't sure he'd be able to pass. Imagine failing and wasting all that time Mayu had spent tutoring him? Not that she minded, he knew, but it would still be embarrassing. Plus, his parents would probably be angry. The sort of angry that got him banned from video games for a week. Or longer. That would be horrible.

Thus, it was with a heavy heart of worry and slow pace that Mikuo entered his math teacher's classroom after school. The blond woman was seated at her desk, rifling through a stack of papers.

"Miss Lily?" Mikuo began.

She glanced up, blue eyes meeting green. "Yo, Hatsune," she replied. "Just sit where you want. Utatane should be here shortly."

Mikuo almost released a groan. Of course he'd have to take an annoying test with Piko and Lily the demon teacher in the room. Hopefully he'd be able to focus.

"Alright," he agreed placing his bag on the floor next to his seat. His usually seat, the one he normally sat in during class, was near the center of the room, and Mikuo felt very exposed there. But it was familiar, so he sat where he had for most of that school year.

He could see Mayu through the classroom door's window, her eyes peeking up over the edge. When their eyes met, she raised her hand to wave. Although he couldn't see her mouth, Mikuo was sure she had an encouraging smile placed on those delicate lips.

"You can start whenever. No need to wait for Utatane," Miss Lily instructed sliding the test papers in front of him.

And so Mikuo did.

/

About an hour and a half later, Mikuo passed his test paper up to his teacher's desk and left the classroom in a bit of a daze. He had numbers spinning around clumisily in his head, disconnected problems barely recognizable as he swung his bag over his shoulder.

"Hello, Mikuo," Mayu smiled. "Are you ready to leave?"

He was really glad she didn't ask any questions about the test. Quite frankly, he wanted to forget all about it. Mayu's warmth beside him as the pair walked out of the building certainly helped him do just that.

Mayu and Mikuo had taken to doing homework together. By doing so, Mikuo had already managed to raise his grades a bit. While he had been failing English, he was now passing with a very high C, almost a B. Most of his other classes were now Bs and Cs, aside from Gym. Gym was the only class he ever really held a steady A in.

Mikuo hoped Mayu didn't think he was stupid. He just wasn't any good at academics. Mikuo had to admit he was a bit jealous of Mayu. She was just so good at everything. She was smart and athletic and downright gorgeous. Actually, Mikuo had discovered she used to play soccer but quit when she got into high school to focus on school work.

But Mikuo was glad he had such an amazing girlfriend. Being jealous of her was just kind of weird, really.

"My house or your house?" Mayu asked. "Tei's not here today. I think she's at a friend's."

"Your house, I guess. I haven't been there very often," Mikuo decided. Taking his hand, Mayu pulled him out of the school building and across the grounds, their feet crunching through the dried leaves below. Many of the trees were now dyed vibrant reds and oranges, some edging to browns and yellows. The scent of autumn was very clear in the air; it was fresh, it was alive, and it carried the faintest cold chill, a hint that winter was not too far off.

"My parents keep asking about you. I think they're a bit obsessed, honestly," she laughed. Funny that she'd use a word like "obsessed" to describe it.

"Now I'm scared," Mikuo replied with a small smile. He had yet to meet the Yoshida parents, despite Mayu's aquaintence with his own. Actually, he found the idea terrifying but took it lightly when Mayu brought it up. Wasn't meeting someone's parents a bit more serious than everything else? Were they rushing things? Even if they were, Mikuo would never be able to tell. The only romances he encountered were in movies and books and occasionally video games. He could ask Miku, he supposed, but she would no doubt say something weird to make him uncomfortable. And he sure as hell wouldn't be asking Len. Kaito was probably the only choice, but that would be weird, too. So he'd just follow Mayu's lead and hope he didn't do anything dumb like he usually did.

"Oh, they're completely terrifying," Mayu teased lightly as she squeezed his hand in hers. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Mikuo. Just act like you normally do and they'll love you."

"Alright," he agreed, squeezing her hand in return.

They arrived at Mayu's house shortly. Mayu unlocked the door with the key in her skirt pocket and the two teens entered the house. Mikuo noted the hardwood floors, the carved doors of the coat closet, the clean shine of the whole place. The walls were painted a very light blue, and the paint looked recent. Before he could take in anything else, Mayu placed the shoes he had taken off in the closet and showed him upstairs to her room.

Her room was nice. It was large, with a window facing outside on the wall opposite the door. Her bed was also large, with multiple pillows and large, fluffy blankets neatly made on the mattress. The floor was still hardwood and shiny, clean as ever. A shelf of books was placed next to her bed on one side, while on the other a table sat with a small lamp. A pair of reading glasses were placed next to the lamp, catching the light of the overhead bulb Mayu switched on as the entered. In front of the window sat a large desk. A laptop sat quietly on top, the charger cord plugged into the wall. Nothing looked out of place and nothing really jumped out at him.

"Welcome to my humble little lair," Mayu presented dramatically, a sweet smile on her face. "Just settle somewhere. I don't mind."

Mikuo didn't exactly know where to sit, so he chose her bed. When he sat back, he sunk into the thick blankets and found it to be the most comfortable place in the world.

"What do you think we should work on first?" Mayu asked, finding a seat next to him. She began digging through her bag, producing a mountain of homework. Soon, there was a solid pile of textbooks beside them.

"How about the worksheet packet for history? And then the vocab for science?" Mikuo suggested. Mayu nodded in agreement.

Everything up until an essay for English went well. Mikuo had never been the best writer. Oddly enough, Mayu wasn't very good at it, either.

"My spelling is horrible," she admitted shyly as she pulled up a Word document on her computer. "As is my spelling. Actually, I can't write much better than a seventh grader."

"Oh," Mikuo replied. What else was there to say?

"My mother usually reviews my essays and paragraphs for me," Mayu continued. "I'm not sure I'll be much help with this assignment." She looked so apologetic and worried, as if it was her fault. The look on her face made Mikuo feel horrible.

"Th-that's alright!" he reassured. "You've already helped me so much I can't possibly complain."

Mayu offered him a grateful smile. "That's so kind of you to say. I'm glad I've of some help to you."

Mikuo returned the smile. "Well, we can at least get something done. It isn't due until Thursday, right?"

Mayu nodded her confirmation. "All the same, I'd like to do all of it now," she sighed. "Whenever I let homework sit, I never get around to it in the end."

"I never really do homework, anyway," Mikuo admitted sheepishly. Mayu laughed.

"That makes me feel a bit better," she told him. "How about we take a break? We've been working for about two hours, believe it or not."

"Okay," Mikuo really couldn't argue with that suggestion.

Mayu stood up. She had been stretched across the floor on her stomach while Mikuo leaned against her bed. "I'll go get a snack. Be right back," she blew him a kiss, which only made him blush slightly. He really was getting better about that.

With a sigh as she closed the door, he relaxed backwards into the bed. The frame bit into his back, but he wasn't too bothered. His hands fell out of his lap, brushing along the cloth that hung along the bottom on her mattress, covering the view of the space below her bed.

Wait, did his hand just hit something hard?

Lifting up the cloth, he felt into the dark space under her bed. His hand once again hit something hard and he tried to grasp it. The object was boxlike, but he couldn't really tell what it was. Pulling it out from under the bed, Mikuo discovered it was an orange show box. It had no label.

Okay, so he was interested. But it was rude to pry into things people kept hidden. Since she had placed the box under her bed, Mayu obviously didn't want anyone to see the box. But he really wasn't the best at containing childish curiosity. As a result, he quickly uncovered the box, holding the lib in both his hands.

His heart either froze or sped. He wasn't sure which. Because in that box were piles and piles of photographs. Photographs of him.

**/**

**Gah. Sorry for another poor chapter. I think I'll be focusing on this story until it's finished. After that, I'll probably do the same with my other stories. It's just so difficult to keep up with three all at once.**

**I'm also going to apologize for using "soccer" instead of "football." I've never understood why Americans call it soccer, but since I am an American myself, I think it would be weird for me to say football as an alternative.**

**Review if you want. It's greatly appreciated.**


	10. Chapter 10

Mikuo quickly recovered the box, as if doing so would change the contents. When he lifted the lid up again, no such thing had happened. Both blurry and professional-looking photos looked up at him, a familiar head of teal hair in every single one. Unable to resist, he flipped through the piles, sometimes seeing himself accompanied by Len or Kaito or even Miku. Once or twice, Rin appeared. But the primary focus was always him. Mikuo Hatsune.

Well. His girlfriend was clearly obsessed.

To his relief, he didn't find any _embarrassing_ or _revealing_ photographs. Mayu did have decency, he decided, and found himself appreciating the fact that she hadn't taken weird photos.

Before Mayu could come back upstairs, Mikuo quickly shoved the pictures back into the box and covered it. The box was placed back under her bed and he attempted to calm his heart rate as he sat back where he had been before. This was the first solid evidence that Mayu actually was a stalker. She had pretty much admitted it and Mikuo didn't doubt it. But it was far creepier than he expected. Mikuo didn't even know what to feel.

Mikuo had never been good at talking seriously with other people. Nor was he good at setting boundaries. But he had a feeling that if he wanted to be with Mayu and feel comfortable with their relationship, he would have to do both. And he wasn't looking forward to that.

Mayu knocked on the door about ten minutes later to let him know she was coming in. In her hands, she carried two cans of root beer and a bag of potato chips, as well as some paper towels to wipe their hands with.

"It took me a while to find anything," she smiled, sitting down next to him. Mikuo felt the need to move away but resisted. That would make things awkward.

"Th-thanks," he muttered, taking the soda she offered. Popping it open, he instantly gulped down a few large mouthfuls.

Mayu giggled as his eyes watered. "Silly," she commented. Mikuo didn't reply.

For the rest of his time at Mayu's house, he remained a bit distant. Somehow, both he and Mayu managed to finish their essays. After e-mailing his own to himself, Mikuo gathered his stuff together and bid Mayu good-bye. She waved from her doorstep, shouting her own farewell with a lovely smile.

Mikuo arrived home in a bit of a daze. Miku greeted him, though he didn't notice, and he chose to collapse on his own bed, his face buried in his pillow. With a sigh, he kicked off the shoes he hadn't placed in the front hall closet and left them at the end of the bed.

Mikuo was confused. He didn't know what to do. Normally, he'd ask his sister or his dad what to do. But either one of them could quite easily freak out and report Mayu for harassment or something. Mikuo didn't even know. But he wouldn't risk. Mayu was creepy, yes, but he really liked her. She had helped him a lot lately, and he was sure she would be his reason for passing the math test. If he passed.

He really wanted to ask someone's advice. No one came to mind at first. Finally, Mikuo took his cell phone out of his pocket, closed his eyes, and scrolled through his contacts. When he opened his eyes, he found the name Rin highlighted on his screen. That would be acceptable.

With a heart full of dread and confusion, Mikuo held the phone to his ear. After a few rings, Rin picked up.

"Hey, 'Kuo!" she greeted. Her voice crackled through the line. Mikuo hated talking on the phone just for that reason; it sounded horrible.

"Hi, Rin," he replied. "Can I talk to you?"

"You are, aren't you?" Rin teased lightly. Mikuo could just imagine the smirk she had on her face.

"Funny," he stated with an eye-roll. "But seriously, Rin. I need help."

The tone of his voice seemed to make her realize he wasn't kidding. Although he could see, she set a serious look on her face and continued the conversation in a hard voice.

"Do I need to kill someone?" she demanded. Mikuo almost laughed. At most, he snorted.

"No, thanks. No killing," he smirked. "I just… It's, um… Mayu."

Rin's expression soured though her voice didn't change. "Yeah?"

"I need to talk to her about something and it just makes me super uncomfortable," Mikuo told her as vaguely as possible. "I guess it's like… setting boundaries."

Rin sighed audibly. The audio crackled through to Mikuo, who scowled at the sudden noise blasting into his ear.

"Mikuo," she stated, "you are terrible at talking to people and you know it."

With a grumble of protest, Mikuo scowled at his floor. Even Rin knew it.

"Just address the issue," she offered, hearing his protests. "If she doesn't take you seriously, I guess you two just aren't meant to be together."

Was Mikuo imagining the brightening of her tone as she finished speaking? Why would the breakup of him and Mayu make her happy? Did she not like Mayu? Len probably said something to her. Stupid Len.

He chose to ignore her change in attitude and replied evenly. "Thanks, Rin," he let himself smile, although he still felt sick to his stomach. "I'm a bit more confident now."

Rin sighed once more, bringing pain to Mikuo's ears. "You're ridiculous," she told him. "Now, bug off. I've got homework."

"Alright, Rinny," Mikuo responded. "See you tomorrow!" And he hung up.

On his end of the line, he stood and stretched. He could smell dinner downstairs and felt his stomach yell for a satisfying meal. With a small smile, Mikuo started off to the table, where his family was already beginning to gather.

On Rin's end, she stood scowling at her phone for several seconds. She, Len, and their younger cousin Lenka had been in the middle of a game of Uno. Suddenly, she didn't want to play anymore.

"Where are you going, Rinny?" Lenka asked as the older girl set down her cards and stood.

"I don't feel well. I think I'm going to lie down," Rin replied honestly. Len watched as she left, her expression turning from anger to sadness in the blink of an eye.

He had a feeling she had just been on the phone with his dear best friend. Len really hoped he wouldn't have to kick somebody's ass for Rin.

**/**

**Yay! Mayu finally did something creepy! I love creepy Mayu!**

**Short chapter, I know. But I already have the next one written and it is longer, so fear not!**


	11. Chapter 11

Mikuo received a long text from Mayu sometime after dinner while he was rereading the book she had delivered to his front door. The vibration surprised him and caused him to almost drop his book, which would in turn loose his place. Sliding the bookmark into place, he picked up his phone and read the message.

**To: Mikuo**

**From: Mayu**

**Message:**

**You were acting kind of weird this afternoon. Did I do something wrong? If I did, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. You can tell me if I do in future.**

Mikuo reread the text before he was able to reply.

**To: Mayu**

**From: Mikuo**

**Message:**

**i found the box under your bed**

What the hell, Mikuo decided as he pressed send. Telling the truth was what he was raised to do. Besides, nothing would come of lying.

Mikuo had to wait a very long time for a reply. All the while his heart sprinted at a rapid pace and his face was steadily growing warmer. He really wished Mayu would just say something already; the suspense alone was killing him. Finally, after about twenty or so minutes, she replied. Mikuo wasted no time in reading her text.

**Oh. Are you creeped out?**

Mikuo bit his lip. Yes, yes, he was. It was very blunt of Mayu to state it that way, as well as less elegant than usual. But that was Mayu, he supposed.

His fingers skimmed over his tiny keypad as he tacked out his reply.

**um… yes? i havent really reacted yet**

Which was true.

**Shocked?** she asked

**yeah **

**Do you want to break up?**

Mikuo sighed. That was the real question, wasn't it? Did he want to break up with Mayu? It would be safer, probably. Less awkward. He already felt his normal life slipping away bit by bit. Had Mayu really disrupted his life so much that she wouldn't let go?

**Please don't break up with me.**

**Mikuo, are you there?**

**MIKUO?!**

Those panicked texts arrived one after another as Mikuo hesitated in replying.

**im here**

**Oh, I thought you were ignoring me.**

Of course she did.

**I don't want to break up. I love you, Mikuo.**

Mikuo blinked at the texts for a second until another one came in.

***like**

Was it really just a case of AutoCorrect's hatred of humans? Mikuo doubted it, but it very well could be.

**i don't want to break up** he finally replied.

**So we won't?**

**no, I guess we wont**

Mikuo's hands shook a bit as he tapped in the message. Even to himself, he sounded doubtful.

**Okay.**

The conversation seemed to be dying out. Mikuo didn't know what to say after such a simple, one-word text. He normally didn't, but it was so much worse right then.

**Are you upset?** He was saved from replying by this next text from Mayu.

**no **was what he told her. _Yes_ was what he thought.

**I think you are.**

Mikuo bristled a bit. He didn't want her analyzing him.

**im really not.**

**Miku, sweetie. I know you're upset. Don't lie.**

Because she obviously knew everything about him.

**i need to go now** he replied. Mikuo really didn't want to continue this conversation.

**See you tomorrow, Mikuo.**

**you, too**

Mayu was the only person who texted him with his own name.

/

Mikuo woke up the next morning with a horrible headache. Satan himself had probably decided it would be funny to give him one. Not only did he have a headache, but his body felt far too warm, as if there was heat radiating through every pore in his skin. All in all, he felt like hell, plain and simple.

His mother agreed, because one look at her son as he trudged downstairs made her send him back to bed with orders not to go to school. He didn't mind, of course. It _was_ school.

Miku stopped by to toss a package at him, saying it had been on the porch. As she left his room, she winked and said something about a secret admirer and someone being jealous, but Mikuo didn't bother listening. He could barely focus on sitting up as he weakly unwrapped the package. It was probably from Mayu.

Inside the package sat the box he had discovered yesterday. Taped to the top was a note with familiar handwriting.

_Mikuo,_

_I know I'm kind of weird and creepy. I'm nowhere near perfect; not like you. I'm obsessive and I get jealous easily. But I really, really like you. Thank you so much for accepting me as you have._

_Destroy the pictures if you want. They aren't really mine if they captured you in them._

_ Much love,_

_ Mayu Yoshida_

Mikuo managed to process the idea that he was dating a complete sap before setting the box off to the side and relaxing back underneath his blankets. He was really too sick to do anything or think at all.

Throughout the day, people who were concerned texted him repeatedly, interrupting every single attempt to sleep. He answered three in total; one from Rin, one from Miku, and one from Mayu. His silly, creepy girlfriend had been convinced he was avoiding her until both Miku and Mikuo reassured her that this wasn't the case. Rin, Len, Mayu and Teto (to his complete horror) had all decided to visit him at some point after school. They had an _order_ arranged and everything (they were going Len, then Teto, then Mayu, then Rin, which sounded pretty random in Mikuo's opinion).

So almost ten minutes after school, Len threw his door open and greeted him with a loud, booming, "Yo, Hastune! Guess who?"

"A demon?" Mikuo asked in a groan, turning away from the door and the loud blond.

"You're so funny," Len told him sarcastically, leaping onto his bed and sitting on his legs.

"I'm sick, jackass. Get off," Mikuo complained. Len shook off the insult happily.

"And? If you can talk, you must be okay!" Len decided.

Miku grumbled something that sounded something like, "Goddamn blond and his stupid logic."

"Blond is cooler than teal," Len replied coolly, running a hand through his choppy bangs.

"No one cares," Mikuo mumbled into his pillow.

"The ladies do," Len argued. "Oh, wait, you've already got a lady of your own. How's that going for you?"

"Bug off," Mikuo snapped. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with Len's prying or his general lack of self-control.

"Poor little Mikuo. Is something wrong with his relationship?" Len pouted absurdly, which earned him a pillow to the face as Mikuo sat up and smacked him with the lumpy mass.

"Okay, okay! I get the message!" Len exclaimed with a snicker as he fell to the floor right on his rear. "Just get better, alright? It's not fair that you get to miss school and sleep!"

Mikuo dismissed him with a hard glare. The blond boy waved teasingly as he left.

"It's Teto-chan!" the drill-haired girl squealed as she entered the room, much to Mikuo's complete terror.

The hyperactive teen talked at him for twenty solid minutes before Miku came to save him, dragging Teto from the room by her arm. Miku shot him an apologetic smile. So even she knew how insane Teto was.

The next visitor was much more awkward than Teto. Mayu, in all her school glory, stood next to his bed, looking down on him like some sort of guardian angel.

"You look horrible," she whispered.

"I know," he chuckled lightly.

"Is it my fault?"

Mikuo might've acted more surprised if he wasn't lying in bed slowly dying of pain and discomfort.

"How would it be your fault?" he asked. Mikuo stared up at her, trying to meet her eyes. Her head was bent and her own amber (yellow?) beauties were avoiding his green eyes.

"I-I stressed you out, right?" Was she sniffling? "People can make themselves sick when they're too stressed."

Mikuo attempted to splutter reassuring words. "N-no! W-well, it can happen. But it wasn't your fault! Even if I was stressed, I could've been stressed about my math test results or something!"

Mayu really was crying now. He could hear it as she carefully ran the back of her hand over her eyes.

"A-are you sure?" she asked, hiccupping a bit. Mikuo knew now was a bad time to think it, but she looked cute with red cheeks. He could've done without the blood shot eyes, though.

"O-of course," he stammered. "Don't worry about it."

She sank to his bed, sitting next to him delicately. She looked as though she was trying not to touch him. Did she think he would get mad? That was so unlike Mayu.

"Mikuo, sweetie," she hiccupped, "you can always tell me when I go too far. As long as I don't lose you, I don't care what else happens."

Mikuo managed to lift his arm enough to settle his hand over one of hers. When she looked up at him, he saw that the light mascara she usually wore had smeared a bit. Girls honestly did not look cute crying, but when Mayu was crying, Mikuo found himself wanting to protect her. Goddamn instincts.

"Okay," Mikuo replied. Mayu smiled lightly at him and he resisted a blush, though his efforts didn't really work.

"Seeing you blush always makes me a bit happier," Mayu teased. Actually, she might not have been teasing. It could've just been the truth.

"You ruined the moment," Mikuo grumbled.

"Maybe for you," Mayu smiled. "I have to go home and watch Tei and a friend of hers. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah," Mikuo told her. She squeezed his hand gently and stood to leave, using a finger to wipe away a stray tear. He swore he heard her mutter something along the lines of "God, I'm a mess," as she left, but he might have just imagined it.

Mikuo let out a sigh and squeezed his hand into a fist. He missed Mayu's warmth already.

"Hey, 'Kuo!" Rin greeted vibrantly as she entered his room. He had almost forgotten she was going to visit.

Mikuo cleared his throat. "Hi, Rin," he replied. "How was school?"

"School. I think. It might've been some alien spaceship or something," Rin stated. "Wait, maybe I was brainwashed! Are you even Mikuo?! Or did someone take his place in order to spy on us earthlings?"

Mikuo smirked. "That makes complete sense," he told her sarcastically.

"Of course it does! It came from Rin Kagamine!" the blond girl declared, waving her arms about.

"Rin, calm-" Mikuo sighed in exasperation. He had completely forgotten how awful he felt in light of his insane friends visiting him. Before he could finish telling Rin she needed to calm down and act like a normal human being, she knocked over the box of photographs he had hastily set on his bedside table, on top of the book he had been reading. The box tipped and fell on the bed, the lid falling and causing a large stack of photos to fall out.

Rin went to help him pick them up. Mikuo was so dazed and fever-ridden he didn't realize the consequences of this.

Blinking, Rin looked up at him in confusion. "What-" she began, glancing down at the stack of photos she had scooped up. On top of the pile sat the note from Mayu, folded neatly in half.

"These are all of you?" Rin asked. "Wow. Narcissist." She smirked at him before choosing to open the note, ignoring his burning cheeks.

"W-what? No!" he exclaimed, wishing he could bury himself in his blankets and never come out. "Who said you could read that?!"

But Rin wasn't listening anymore. Her eyebrows cut down into her face, forming a focused scowled as he eyes skimmed the page in her hands again and again. There were many minutes of silence before she looked up at Mikuo with the same sour look, holding the note in one hand and waving it loosely.

"What exactly is this?" she asked in a very serious, very un-Rin-like voice. Mikuo tried to swallow but it hurt pretty badly to try.

"A note," he replied.

"I know it's a note, Mikuo Hatsune. What is it _about?_" she demanded, the paper fluttering gently as she waved it a bit harder.

Mikuo didn't know how to reply. His heart had frozen, as did his brain.

What could he tell her?

**/**

**I'd like everyone here to know I find this relationship creepy. If I were in Mikuo's position, I would ****_not_**** still be dating Mayu. She's insane. So this is kind of a "Do as I say, not as I write" thing. Don't follow Mikuo's dumb example and date someone like Mayu. Unless you want to be stalked, of course.**

**I say this because my friend says it sounds like I support insane relationships like this. Quite frankly, if you date your stalker, it's none of my business. This is just some dumb fanfiction; don't read anything into it, please.**

**I'm done now.**

**How was the chapter? Tell me in a review. Or a PM. That works, too.**

**I'm going to go watch some Blood+ now.**


	12. Chapter 12

"Mikuo, you'd better freaking explain this," Rin demanded in a cold, authoritative voice. "And I mean now."

Mikuo shifted uncomfortable under her gaze. Those blue eyes had gone hard and cold, spearing him like a trapped animal. He took a deep breath in anticipation of his next words; words he didn't want to say.

"It's nothing important," Mikuo replied avoiding her eyes. Seeing such a stern look on Rin's face was frightening and even a bit hurtful.

"Explain it to me or I'll assume my conclusions are correct," Rin ordered. Mikuo in turn remained silent. "Mikuo, this relationship you have with Mayu isn't healthy if that's what's going on."

It made him angry, the way she put that. What did Rin know about it? What did Rin know about anything? He liked Mayu and being with her made him happy. Rin couldn't sit there and tell him anything about their relationship.

"You're wrong," Mikuo stated. "Whatever you think is going on isn't."

"Then tell me-"

"No."

Rin looked shocked at his immediate response. "But we're friends," she argued. "We rarely keep secrets from each other. Right?"

"My relationship with Mayu is none of your business." He felt horrible for saying it but it was true. Rin may be one of his closest friends and she had been for some time, but he and Mayu were allowed to keep secrets. If Rin had a boyfriend, he'd expect the same of her.

Rin looked crushed, physically and mentally. Her shoulders collapsed and her face fell to an expression of hurt that twisted her face into the opposite of everything Mikuo had come to know as "Rin."

"Of course it's my business," she replied quietly. "I'm your friend and I'm worried."

"I know, Rin. But Mayu's my girlfriend. There are some things between us that I'll never share with anyone," Mikuo told her. "Even if it's you."

Rin's fists clenched visibly. "That's not fair!" she declared angrily, yet her voice was still quiet. "I've known you for years. I deserve to know."

It was so un-Rin-like for her to say that. Rin was always understanding about the important things. She tried to see everyone's point of view. But at the moment, her stubbornness seemed to be revealing itself.

"Stop it, Rin. I don't want to fight about this," Mikuo said. "I'm still sick."

"You're just avoiding the issue!" Rin accused.

"I am not!" Mikuo spat. She flinched visibly.

"Does she really mean that much to you?" Rin asked quietly?

"You're being dramatic," Mikuo informed her.

"Does she?"

"Of course she matters to me. She's my girlfriend," he said.

"That isn't fair at all," Rin muttered. Before he could ask why, she continued.

"I liked you first."

The room was silent. Mikuo's breath died in his chest. The moment stretched well beyond breaking point as they both sat, Rin looking at her two hands clasped tightly together in her lap.

"Rin," Mikuo finally managed to say, "I don't- I like Mayu."

"That isn't fair," she repeated once again. "I've always thought… Always been told… that we would end up together."

Mikuo could picture that. He and Rin, together. But it wasn't going to happen. No use being nice about it.

"No, Rin. That isn't going to happen," Mikuo firmly told her.

"Why not?" she demanded, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I know you used to like me! So many people have always mistaken us for a couple!"

"You're being unreasonable," he simply couldn't swallow those words. "This isn't like you at all. It's so… selfish."

"I don't care!" Rin shook her head to rid herself of the accusation. "I've been gathering the courage to confess for a long time, and I was hoping you were, too. But then some random girl decided to cut in. It isn't fair at all!"

"Rin," Mikuo began, gulping down a knot forming in his throat, "go home."

Rin blinked blue eyes brimming with shock. "Wh-what?"

"I'm not going to talk to you until you calm down," he muttered quietly. "You already know what I'll say, anyway."

Rin's lower lip trembled but she visibly bit down on her tongue to stop. A quivering smile rose to her lips.

"Yeah," Rin said in a subdued tone. "Maybe we should just talk later."

As she left, Mikuo knew he heard a sniffle.

He collapsed back on his bed, feelings of stress and confusion pushing him deeper into his pillows for comfort. Everything was suddenly a mess. Rin had guessed at Mayu's "problem". Worse still, Rin had confessed. A few weeks ago, he would have considered it. Now, though, he couldn't even imagine dating Rin.

His phone buzzed on his night stand, showing the new message icon. With a complete lack of motivation, Mikuo grabbed his phone and read the text.

**To: Mikuo**

**From: Mayu**

**Message:**

**I love you.**

Mikuo couldn't be bothered to reply.

/

The next day, Mikuo didn't feel much better. Again, he stayed home, insisting on turning off his phone in order to get a decent nap. At around noon, his mother woke him up with an offering of leek soup and left him be. While awake, Mikuo's mind remained in chaos. Confusion about Rin and guilt about everything he had said resurfaced while he was conscious. Maybe that's why he had been sleeping so much.

After school, Mayu dropped by with his homework and a shy look on her face. Mikuo had never thought of Mayu as 'shy', but it was cute to see her act as such.

She stayed to help him for a little bit. They managed to work for a long time before Mayu brought up a new topic.

"I heard you and Rin talking yesterday before I left," she confessed. Mikuo thought she looked somewhat ashamed.

"Y-you did?" he asked.

She nodded. "It's a bit horrible to admit but hearing what you said made me happy."

"What do you- oh," Mikuo suddenly realized and blushed.

"I'm so glad you like me in return," Mayu looked almost peaceful as she said this. "Sometimes I worry that I'm not enough and you'll stop liking me."

"Th-that's silly," Mikuo told her blushing. "Of course you're enough. You're so much more impressive than me, anyway."

Mayu shook her head. "Oh, there's no way I'm as great as you, Mikuo. I can't even describe my admiration for you." Her expression turned dreamy, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards into a gentle smile. Soon enough, she blushed and made eye contact with Mikuo again. "I'm sorry. That was a weird thing to say, wasn't it?"

"Y-yeah," Mikuo admitted, "but it was flattering and… sweet." His blush persisted, making him feel very uncomfortable.

Mayu allowed herself a warm smile. "I'm glad," she replied. "Mikuo, sweetie, we should finish up the homework."

Mikuo groaned. "I was hoping you had forgotten."

Mayu winked. "Even when you pass your math test, you have to keep up with the work," she pointed out.

"I finally have a B in geometry, thanks to you," he smiled through his embarrassment.

"That's sweet of you to say," Mayu told him, tapping the back of his hand with her finger. Somehow, she had managed to slip her own delicate hand into his as they were talking.

They stayed like that until Mayu left for her own home some time later.

/

**Next chapter is written.**


	13. Chapter 13

**This story will be put on a hiatus for some amount of time. It's simply too stressful working with three at once.**

**But! But! Don't leave yet! I tried to write a really long chapter because I'm kind of dropping the story for a bit. 4,000 words was my goal, but I got bored :\**

**On a bit of a random note; has anyone heard YOHIOloid yet? I think he sounds pretty good. He might be my new favorite male Vocaloid because I've honestly never liked Len's voice... I'm going to get hate for that. Not that Len's the only male Vocaloid! He's just the most well-known. I think Yuuma sounds pretty good, too. **

**I think I just came up with a new crack pairing. YuumaxYOHIOloid.**

**I feel ashamed.**

**I also feel ashamed because this chapter was supposed to be finished yesterday. Blame manga. Oh, and Iron Man 3.**

**Enjoy!**

**/**

At school the next day, Mikuo managed to avoid Rin fairly well. Immature, he knew, but he didn't know what else to do. It wasn't like he had experience with these things.

He spent lunch with Mayu, studying in the library for a history exam he was starting to feel pretty confident about. At breaks, he absorbed himself in textbooks and homework, wondering when science had suddenly become so interesting.

The end of the day made up for his rotten time at school. His Geometry teacher handed back his test at last, a smug look on her face.

"Well, Hatsune. I'm impressed," she said, watching as his eyes widened. Piko, who had also stayed to get his test, waited with a look of disinterest as she handed him his test back.

"Now head on home. I'm sure you've both got things to do," their teacher ordered, waving them away. Both boys left the classroom to the blond woman, meeting up with Miku and Mayu in the hallway, who were both respectively waiting for their friend or boyfriend. When Mikuo held out his test for Mayu to see, she squealed and attacked the stunned teen with a hug.

"A ninety-four! Mikuo, that's amazing!" she told him. "I knew you could do it!"

Mikuo hugged her back, the test crumpling a bit in his hands.

"Thanks so much for helping me, Mayu," he replied. "I don't think I would've passed without you."

"Of course you would've," Mayu reassured.

"Not with this grade," Mikuo pointed out. "I've never gotten an A in math. Like, ever." Mayu pulled away from him and slapped his cheeks lightly with her fingertips.

"No use being negative. You passed," Mayu smiled gently up at him. "Want to celebrate?"

"How so?" he asked. "And isn't that overdoing it a bit?"

"Hard work and success must be rewarded," Mayu told him. "I think chocolate is the perfect reward."

/

Mikuo was comfortably situated at the dining room table of the Yoshidas. Mayu stood by the counter, mixing cupcake batter in a bowl. The smell of chocolate hung heavily in the warm air. It was a nice setting.

"These should be ready soon," Mayu told him.

"They smell great already," he replied. "I'll help do the dishes."

"Thank you," Mayu accepted the offer gratefully.

The cupcakes were set in the oven soon enough, leaving Mayu and Mikuo with time to waste. The two teens settled themselves next to one another on the couch in the living room, hand in hand and elbows brushing. Mayu switched on the TV, flipping through shows on Netflix before settling on one Mikuo didn't know much about. He didn't even care. He liked being so close to Mayu. It was getting a lot more comfortable.

The next ten minutes were nice. The sat quietly, watching their show. Mikuo knew it was popular; some British show, right? He had heard some of the girls at school talking about it.

However, they were interrupted by the doorbell.

"Mayu!" they heard Tei call as the bell rang again, echoing through the house loudly.

"Be a dear, Tei?" Mayu called in return. Above them, they heard Te's footsteps as she ran through the hall and down the stairs. They ignored the rest of the noises coming from the front of the Yoshida house, like the opening of the door.

"Tei's a great sister," Mayu confided in a confidential whisper. "Don't tell her or I'll never hear the end of it."

Mikuo smiled in amusement. Before he could reply, Tei rushed in with a look of awe on her face.

"There's a really hot blond guy at the front door," she informed them, voice distant. "He wants Mikuo."

"Blond?" Mikuo asked. "Probably Len."

Mayu scowled. It was a look she only ever really got when Len was mentioned. Mikuo didn't like seeing that scowl on her face; it seemed so cruel and dark. He couldn't imagine Mayu as cruel and dark. But this might just be him being naïve.

"Great," she muttered.

"I'll go talk to him," Mikuo assured. "It won't take too long."

Mayu nearly pouted. It was adorable. "Alright. I'll check on the cupcakes," she glanced to the kitchen doorway and sighed.

"I'll be quick," Mikuo decided, making his way to the door, trailed by a glassy-eyed Tei.

The front door was open, revealing Len. He looked comfortable in his surroundings, greeting Mikuo with a lazy wave. The look on his face was bit odd; colder and less emotional than normal.

"Yo," he said. "You got your test back, right? How'd you do?"

"Got an A, actually," Mikuo told him sheepishly. It was weird to hear those words come out of his own mouth. "Couldn't you have just texted?"

Len shrugged. "There are some things I can't do over text."

"Like what?" Mikuo asked.

A harsh crack sounded as Len's fist connected with his face.

Mikuo felt his nose begin to drip blood down across his lips. Tei had jumped as Mikuo staggered back, holding a hand over his nose.

Len stood shaking his hand, which hung limply. It must've hurt, but he wasn't going to earn sympathy from anyone in that house. "There. Now we're relatively even."

Mikuo stood up straight, face displaying complete shock. Then, the shock morphed into anger.

"What the hell, Len?" he demanded, running a finger over his split lip.

"I told you. We're even," Len repeated with a glare.

"You jackass. This is about Rin, right?" Mikuo tried to stand taller, using his few extra inches on Len to his advantage.

Len let out a hiss at her name. "You're the jackass after how you acted towards her."

"Shut the hell up. You don't understand how I feel at all or the position I'm in," Mikuo spat. "You honestly think I want to hurt anyone? Especially _Rin?"_

"I don't care if you want to or not. Either way, Rin's still hurt and it's your fault," Len stepped a bit closer to Mikuo, tilting his head up and glaring. "You're going to pay for that for a long time coming."

Mikuo silently bristled, searching for a retort. Before one could form in his mind, he saw Mayu approach Len from behind. Why she was behind him, after just being in the kitchen, was confusing. Had she snuck around the back of the house in order to come up behind Len? He was about to tell her to leave; after all, he didn't want her getting involved in a giant argument, especially with Len. But the dark, solid look contaminating her eyes and face made him freeze.

She lifted the kitchen knife in her hand and pressed the tip into Len's back.

"Are you threatening my Mikuo?" she asked in a very cutesy, innocent voice; it was a voice so unlike her normal one Mikuo had to blink and remind himself who she was. Len flinched when he saw the blade she held, twisting his head just far enough to glimpse steel.

"M-mayu," Mikuo stuttered, all anger-caused bravado gone. "Th-that's a bit-"

"Mikuo must not be hurt," Mayu smiled at him in a very creepy way. "I'll always protect Mikuo."

The sound of his own name was beginning to terrify him.

Mikuo was at a loss for words. Luckily, Tei stepped in before Mayu had a chance to do anything.

"Oh, Mayu," the girl sighed, using a single finger to lower the knife. "No need for that. We don't want to encourage your little episodes. Besides," she sent Len a wink that made him almost visibly cringe, "he's rather attractive."

"Tei, honey," Mayu replied in a vaguely condescending tone, "Len can't be allowed to hurt my Mikuo. He needs punishment."

"Give me the knife, Mayu," the younger sister ordered, holding out her hand expectantly. Mayu hesitated, staring down at the blade by her side with a loving look on her face. "Now, Mayu."

With a sigh and a pout, Mayu offered Tei her weapon, gazing longingly at it as Tei held it behind her back.

"That's much better," Tei cooed as though she were talking to a small child. "Please go back to the kitchen for now."

A submissive sigh released itself from Mayu's lips as she followed her younger sister's instructions, leaving Mikuo and Len staring in silent, terror-filled disbelief. Tei turned to them, supplying little explanation. Not that much was needed.

"Mayu doesn't like it when others damage her things," the tiny silver-haired girl told them.

Len broke out of his silent state of fear and turned on Mikuo, spitting mad at this point. "Your girlfriend is a psychopath!" he burst out angrily. "And you're an idiot for sticking with her!"

"Shut the hell up!" Mikuo hissed. Len froze at the look on his friend's face.

Mikuo admittedly put up with a lot from Len and Kaito. He put up with a lot from people in general. But even Mikuo could be pushed too far. It hadn't happened yet, not in the years Len had known him. But there was a first time for everything. Len realized he was witnessing a first.

"Just get out, Len," Mikuo's voice had gone both rock hard and icy cold. "I'm quite tempted to go get Mayu and bring her back."

Len snorted, though his mind spun at the threat. "Whatever you say, Mikuo," he retorted in the same tone. "It's not as if I'll see _you_ as a threat, anyway."

Mikuo remained silent, an iron gaze of malevolence fixed upon Len. Quietly, Len turned and left, face falling from anger to depression as soon as the boys could no longer see each other.

"Bastard," Mikuo muttered, stalking off to the kitchen. Neither teen remembered Tei as she stood silently, a smile of pure intrigue and amusement on her face.

/

Mikuo arrived home just before his father returned from work. With an offering of cupcakes, he managed to reassure his mother that he had, in fact, been perfectly fine and not kidnapped. Miku instantly stole a chocolate cupcake from the counter when he set them down, grinning at him like the Cheshire cat.

Mikuo had thinking to do, so he excused himself up to his room. After Len had left, Tei and Mayu had taken some time away from baking to explain mayu's episode with the knife. Quite often, it would seem, Mayu would come home and fly into a rage of sorts, chopping fruits and vegetables rapidly and rendering her cutting board into a mass of wooden splitters. Along with this act of unexplained violence against food, she would mutter rather questionable things to herself. Lately, the phrase "kill the Kagamines" seemed to be her favorite. Somewhere in this conversation, Mikuo had found out Mayu's weapon of choice was an axe. His girlfriend hadn't been very lucid during the course of this discussion, dreamily staring into space. Mikuo honestly didn't want to know what was going through her head.

Tei noticed her sister's odd behavior as of late, admitting that she and Mayu shared the same obsessive and possessive tendencies when it came to the people they liked or were attracted to. Mayu didn't want anyone near Mikuo, especially not people who could take him away from her. That was how the sisters had said it.

Mikuo realized he was being referred to as a possession more and more lately. Was he a prize Rin and Mayu were now at war over? While he knew both girls genuinely cared for him, neither seemed to be showing it well.

This was all so weird and now it was starting to get scary. His relationship with Mayu was really beginning to seem unhealthy. But he didn't like Rin that way anymore and Len had no right to hit him for turning her down. Nor did Mayu have the right to act the way she had.

With a sigh, Mikuo stroked his teal bangs thoughtfully. It probably would've been better if he had never gotten involved with Mayu in the first place. Maybe if she had been sane everything might've worked out better. Then again, she probably wouldn't like him as much if she were sane.

No use thinking about 'what-ifs' now. He was stuck. No way out. He'd have to face his problems.

Oh, what joy.

**/**

**GUYS. I need a second genre for this. It isn't really horror, but I'm hoping to make things a bit more violent in the future... Maybe angst would work? I don't know. I could use some input!**


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